


come a little bit closer

by latinxrichie



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: M/M, Multi, Reddie, Stanlon - Freeform, benverly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-04-26 18:23:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14407890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/latinxrichie/pseuds/latinxrichie
Summary: a quiet place au! will trashmouth survive a quiet place au? we just dont know





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @delicateloser ily! i could only ever write this w ur encouragement! ur support means everything n also… same hat
> 
> @ anyone else reading this, there is only one detail i could really spoil during this au i think? tori, the loml, has been reading what ive written without having seen the movie! she knows next to nothing n hasn’t been spoiled so far! there will be a spoiler warning further on (but even then i think its a detail most ppl are aware of so? proceed w caution at that point)

“M - I - K - E - H - A - N - L - O - N” **  
**

“S - T - U - D - M - U - F - F - I - N”

Bev’s stare burned holes into Richie in a fraction of the time it took for him to sign every single letter to call their host a stud. Mike shook his head but not without a fond smile on his face. Beverly Marsh took her quicker approach to communicating, scribbling in a sketchbook she lifted from one of her and Richie’s raids.

“Signing one letter at a time isn’t going to cut it, dipshit.”

“We learned the alphabet for emergencies only. SOS. ASAP.”

“The shit that’s not going to take an hour off of our lives to spell out.”

Beverly ripped out one page at a time, dropping them to the middle of the triangle they created between them on the floor of Mike’s basement. Writing down every thought wasn’t the most time efficient by any means but it won over the headache Richie gave everyone trying to piece together bits of a language none of them were completely fluent in to begin with.

They shared one book between them, studying the basics of ASL when they lost sunlight in the day. Three weeks into their stay with Mike, Richie gravitated to the language the most. It put his restless hands at ease but none of them of them had mastered anything close to conversational yet. The best they could do was to fold the corners of the important pages for the next person to learn. Pages of commands, locations. Richie constantly highlighted the page of animal signs, insisting they were all going to find codenames, leaving his annotations in the corner.

“Lion, Tiger and Bear! I call dibs on Lion for my sick mane, obvs.”

Welcoming Beverly and Richie onto the farm was an easy decision for Mike. Before anything, Mike Hanlon was hospitable. Finding two people with nowhere to go, his heart screamed  _take them in._  Despite all risks to his lifestyle he followed through, inviting the two to stay with him on his expansive plain. It was the quiet countryside that kept him safe all this time but he was beginning to understand his plan to hide out by himself wouldn’t work out long term. Mike needed a team.  _A smart one._

* * *

_“Fuck yeah!”_ Richie cheered loudly for the whole world to hear. Only his voice was drowned out by the rushing water cascading down the massive cliff him and Beverly stood by. She had been biting at her nails while Richie hooked up their homemade hydro-turbine with their power generator. Beverly and Richie were nowhere near MIT level engineers but they were  _crafty._  And hoarders. Picking up parts from hardware stores and run down vehicles here and there amounted to a whole  _turbine._ Suddenly lugging all those heavy backpacks into the woods was worth it.

“Don’t fuck around, Richie. Is it really working?”

“Oh I don’t know, Beaverly? Let me open up twitter and take a poll, see what the world thinks of the  _stupidly amazing_  set up we got here.” Richie answered her question by holding up his phone hooked up to the generator, screen lighting up when it had previously been dead.

Beverly was too excited to pay any mind to the half thought out joke. “Richard Tozier. You genius. I could kiss you right now.” Richie opened his mouth to speak but Beverly followed with a strict “ _could_ ” before he could ruin the moment.

With a source of power secured, Richie and Beverly traveled down the river for a better place to settle. Mike’s home wasn’t too far down the line. When they found him, he had been hanging damp laundry on a clothesline outside. Beverly had been cautious to approach the stranger, but Richie asked her to hang back hidden behind the trees. Richie left his bags behind and ventured into the clearing with nothing but his halfway charged phone in hand. The moment Mike caught sight of his movement, he tensed. Richie raised a finger to his own lips, a reminder that no matter what either of their intentions were, they had to be quiet. Richie moved carefully as he approached Mike, stretching his hand out to show all that he had. He typed out a note before leaving Beverly.

“hello, gorgeous stranger! let me just say, you are a sight for sore eyes.. ;) ready for an offer you can’t refuse?? POWER BABY!! lots of it. and to sweeten the deal ill throw in two new beautiful friendships!! no extra charge. all im looking for is a place to stay a few nights. if interested, we can talk this out.. somehow. im richie and its nice to meet you!”

* * *

A few nights quickly turned into a weeks. Bringing them into his home, Mike received more help than he ever could asked for. He saw no cause for them to leave. Ordinary chores were always out of the way by noon, giving them plenty of time to execute plans coordinated the nights before. Their biggest mission on hand was soundproofing and they localized their focus underground, creating a “bunker” out of the basement. Every empty home within a five mile radius lost couch cushions to Mike and Bev’s efforts to secure a safe space to speak openly and plan further while Richie scoured the same houses for radios and batteries, any doomsday preparedness kits left useless by the original owners. And Beverly and Rich had become more than just help. They filled the empty spaces at the dinner table. The company was enough to put a smile onto Mike’s face where it had been previously lost and their back and forths were just the form of entertainment he had been missing for the last few months. Richie rolled his eyes at the way Beverly threw down each page, wasting time writing  _and_  tossing them down for emphasis. Richie took the sketchpad and felt tip, writing a message via Beverly’s preferred method.

“Geez Marsh, don’t  _DRAW_  the conversation on too long.”

A wide grin stretched across Richie’s face as he circled the giant word with a pattern of stars as if the joke would be lost on them. His pun went without reaction when he held it up for Mike and Bev, so he took his explanation a step further. “Get it, guys? Draw? It’s a sketchbook.” His voice, as low and scratchy it was delivered from the back of his throat, received tenfold the reaction he needed. Richie was met with widened eyes, Mike visibly tensing while Beverly jolted from her seat to cover a hand over his mouth.

“T - A - P - E”

Richie shook his head fervently and started writing again. “No! You guys cushioned the hell out of this place! I get to crack a fucking joke once in a while.”

It was true Beverly and Mike coated the ceiling and the walls surrounding the staircase down into the basement with so much padding it was hard to imagine any noises passing in or out. The room had become eerily quiet over the past week as they reinforced the cushions with thicker bedspreads. Overly cautious, and to a fault. Richie thought their efforts would go to better use extending their search out to military. Soldiers who could actually  _protect_ them with government resources. The three put themselves in a vulnerable position going house for supplies they may or may not find.

Richie was confident the basement was as good as sealed with concrete now but Mike and Beverly refused to put it to any test, saying it wasn’t worth the risk to leave any of them above the surface to let the others create any noise below. Moreover, if it  _was_ fully soundproofed now, Beverly didn’t want Richie back in the habit of running his mouth as often and loudly as he pleased. Even when the risks were high, Richie had his slip ups and resorted to sealing his lips with painters tape to keep him from stirring up unwanted attention.

“Then be quiet.” Beverly mouthed.

* * *

Georgie broke his hand free from Eddie’s, stepping forward quickly to catch up to his older brother leading a few paces ahead of them. Bill’s head already spun, too aware of the rustling of the grass beneath his feet. It wasn’t much noise but the sound felt stark against the silent roadside, enough to cause Bill hold his hand out to signal his younger brother to use more caution. Despite the hearing aid, Georgie couldn’t hear much of anything.

“Too much walking. I’m tired.” Georgie signed and looked up at him with big eyes that caused an immediate halt. The furrowed brows that had settled in on Bill’s search for a safe place to stop finally softened, kneeling down to give his back to Georgie. His tired frown was replaced with rosy smile, latching his arms around Bill’s shoulders to be carried on his back the rest of the way. When Bill stood up straight he looked towards Eddie to make sure he was at his side and ready to continue.

Eddie always adored the lengths Bill went to make his little brother smile, even before any of this. “Wish I could be picked up and carried.” He signed for Georgie’s amusement, though walking on bare feet since sunrise was causing him a lot of ache. Being towed around by Bill Denbrough was something of a daydream to Eddie. Georgie grinned and clasped a hand over his mouth to stop a giggle. Bill smiled too. If he could, he would offer Eddie the same chance at a piggyback ride, but his hands were too busy supporting Georgie’s weight now. Otherwise he would tell him that he really wouldn’t mind.

Conversation was difficult to maintain while the three were on the move. Bill was always distracted, thinking too hard about what their next step would be. Eddie constantly found himself tugging at Bill’s arm when he moved too quick for Georgie to keep up. He understood what Bill was trying to do, keeping Georgie safe and taken care of while they searched for others, but rarely did he stop to _look_  at his brother and make him feel like what was going on was normal. Bill was all about survival but the other two grasped for the softer moments like this where they could just  _pretend_  they were walking home from one of their adventures.

Truly exhausted, Georgie had fallen asleep on Bill’s back. Eddie didn’t believe it could be all that comfortable but the look of serenity on his face said different. Bill was grateful the gravity of the situation was lost on Georgie, leaving the stress on his and Eddie’s shoulders alone. As much as he wanted to take the full weight of it all, Bill was depending on his best friend to be there for Georgie too, especially if anything were to happen to him. It hadn’t been a thought Eddie spoke out loud, but he considered Georgie his baby brother, too.

Eddie had been the one to steer the boys away from the paved road onto a dirt path. He didn’t know what Bill was looking for when he thought about a good place to stop, but Eddie just knew they had to stop soon for Georgie’s sake and he had a good feeling about the footprints he saw on the path. It didn’t look too traveled, but it had to lead towards somewhere people would go.

The sun was as good as fully set by the time they got to a white, two story home. It was as normal as Eddie could ask for. The quiet convinced Bill, too, but he had Eddie take Georgie into his arms so he could scope it out first. He was always cautious when it came to stopping, fighting off his yawns as he searched every room on the first and second floor for any reason not to trust this home, shining his flashlight onto every little corner for his peace of mind. Georgie was growing heavy in Eddie’s arms as he waited but just before tapping out, Bill waved him inside. He lead Eddie upstairs. He found something like a child’s bedroom on his first go around. Eddie laid him down onto the small bed before easing himself onto the floor, every one of his muscles begging for the rest. Bill did another walk around, making note of all their new resources. It was a lot and he could talk about that with Eddie in the morning but for now, Bill carried in blankets from the linen closet to spread about the floor beside Georgie. Their were other beds to use but him and Eddie never let Georgie wake up in a new place alone.

“Thank you for today.” Bill signed at the first opportunity he got while Eddie was laying down to rest. He thanked him every night. Eddie guessed it was for sticking around for all this time, but that was just a given for him. Eddie loved Georgie. And he loved Bill.

“Of course.” He replied as always. His smile was tired, but warm. Eddie fell asleep with the knowledge that Bill would stay up to strategize for the next day. He would be up early with the sunrise, too. Eddie took the day by day approach himself. There was no manual on how to survive this. If there had been, he would have flipped through the whole book a million times by now. Until a more solid plan introduced itself, Eddie was content with sleeping when his eyes begged to be shut.

* * *

It was at the ungodly hour of three in the morning that Richie had to leave the basement to take a piss. Beverly and Mike were still up too but their triangle disbanded for the night, each going about planning what they would do the following day. Before walking up the stairs, he wrote a note for his friends. “BRB if I’m not back in five minutes I’m dead. Send the search party but it’ll be too late.” Richie left the paper with Mike who admired it for the drama before passing it on to Beverly. She folded it into a small square before aiming it to the trash.

Richie delicately pushed the cushioned door open and shut again. He took one step towards the back door before his heart leaped out of his chest. Careless footsteps traveled down from the second floor, a flashlight cast down towards the kitchen, light nearly reaching him. Richie didn’t have time to second guess his insist to flip the lightswitch in the hallway. It didn’t deter the footsteps, and instead, brought an inquisitive young boy his way. Richie covered his mouth to stop his shock before it poked at his voicebox to say something. The boy didn’t share in his reaction. Instead, it looked like he had seen something funny. He started to sign something Richie’s way and the man realized he was nowhere near adept at the language yet. He caught bits of, “Hi, I’m..” and “brother” maybe before he was pointing upstairs. Richie’s eyes widened when the boy spun around to go up to where he came from. He saw no other option but to follow.

The boy moved quick, leaving Richie to follow the light into Mike’s childhood bedroom. He was stopped in the doorway, gesturing to the two bodies on the floor. He held a finger up to his lips so Richie wouldn’t do anything to wake them. Fortunately he had no such plans. Richie nodded slowly, processing the situation at hand. He kneeled down to the boy’s height, unsure of himself. None of these people were a threat to himself. At least the older boys weren’t as long as they were sleeping. After a moment of consideration, Richie signed to the best of his abilities.

“R - I - C - H - I - E”

…

“G - E - O - R - G - I - E”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @delicateloser my angel, sweetheart! you support me so much it’s actually silly. get a better hobby perhaps.

_Okay okay okay, this is fine._  Richie thought as he flew down the stairs, carefully toeing down each step.  _No, it’s not._ He still had to pee. The five minute mark had passed and  _no_ , no search party had ventured out in search of him yet. Richie would be disappointed with the lack of concern if wasn’t distracted with the problem upstairs. He pushed through the padded door to return to Beverly and Mike, earning their attention before he opened his mouth. The thudding beneath his feet as he skipped steps was enough to draw Mike and Beverly from their thoughts. Richie wrangled Beverly by the wrist and tugged her up from her seat by the wall to bring her closer to Mike, making her sit beside him on the couch as he crouched on the floor in front of them both. “We have a Goldilocks situation upstairs.  _Do not_  tell me to shut up.” **  
**

Richie explained all that happened, but it wasn’t much. “They’re all sleeping now?” Mike asked. The three settled on speaking with soft voices now that they knew the soundproofing was enough to conceal the footsteps upstairs. Richie nodded. “I got the boy back to bed.”

“Did they look dangerous?” Beverly didn’t know what they were going to do if they were. None of them had been put a position where they had to defend themselves from others like this. But right now they were at an advantage with the two men sleeping and unaware to their existence. If they had to defend their safety, it was best to attack the problem now. Meanwhile Mike shifted back against the couch at the implication itself.

“I really don’t think so. But I found this..” Richie revealed a pocket knife in his hand with the initials  _‘DB’_  etched into the metal. “I just saw it sitting in one of their bags. I didn’t go through anything else.”

“I have a pocket knife. You do too, Beverly. It doesn’t mean anything.” Mike wanted Beverly to feel safe, but he also needed to dismiss the idea that they needed to take serious action when it seemed the strangers only had intentions to rest inside for the night. He understood the paranoia, but he let strangers into his home before. Beverly and Richie could attest to that. “We’re going to make them breakfast in the morning.” Mike decided. He believed the other two got a say. This was their home, too. But while they had very little information and no reason to turn the boys away, Mike believed sharing a meal was the right thing to do. Beverly and Richie shared a look, eventually nodding, and Mike felt good about where they were at. “You both sleep. I’ll stay up tonight.” Mike said, promising to take care of them and dawning the burden of being especially cautious while they had guests sleeping upstairs. He could see Beverly was uneasy in spite of the offer. He rested his hand on hers.  _“It’ll be okay.”_

Beverly nodded and stood up to design to her bed, not before pressing a kiss to Mike’s forehead. “You’re too good, Hanlon.” She smiled half heartedly before parting from her boys to go to bed. “Goodnight.”

Richie looked up at Mike with a fraction of Bev’s uncertainty, but he was easier convinced. “Gonna go take care of some unfinished business outside. Seriously this time, if I’m not back in a minute.. ” Neither men were were really the fighting type. They probably needed Beverly for that. But Richie knew Mike had their back either way. He nodded in response and watched Richie go back up the stairs.

Mike followed through and timed Richie’s absence, luckily returning before he felt the need to pry himself away from his book. “Thanks, Mike..” Richie spoke anyway, retiring to his bed. Mike grabbed his reading light before shutting off the lamp so Bev and Richie could get some proper rest. “Goodnight, sweet Michael.” He called, grateful to be able be to rest while Mike kept an eye out for them.

* * *

As sunrise approached, Mike readied himself to greet the men upstairs. He had written them a note and left it upstairs beside the sleeping strangers. Richie was right, they seemed harmless. Their bags were much too small to carry weapons. If Mike had to guess, he would say they only carried food with them. Maybe emergency health kits as they traveled with a young boy. Mike’s note detailed the fact that they were in fact staying inside an occupied residence, but there was no cause for alarm. Mike extended the invitation to stay for breakfast and mentioned they would find him waiting in the kitchen. He didn’t include much about Bev or Richie besides the fact that he wasn’t alone, he had others to look after too. The letter offered peace of mind to whichever man read it. After dropping it off upstairs, Mike got started with the breakfast he promised.

Mike wasn’t capable of making the most decadent meals. He just did the best with what fresh fruits and vegetables he harvested from his garden and all the non perishable goods Richie and Beverly snagged from the supermarkets when they went into town. Canned foods were better saved for busier days, but given he had the time Mike always opted to cook the healthier options. As much as Mike would have liked to treat his guests to an amazing meal, the best he could offer that morning was a hot serving of oatmeal, berries from the garden, and coffee. Mike served himself the coffee and sat at the kitchen table, writing in his notebook as he waited.

Sunlight shone in through the window and gave Mike a cozy feeling, thankfully masking the anxiety that rose when he heard the faint footsteps trailing down the staircase. He readied himself with a kind smile. Standing in the doorway was a taller man. He wore confidence like an armor. He could have been apologetic for intruding, or he could have attacked Mike by now, but he had a good feeling about this man. He was protector. Mike was too.

Mike stood from the table to serve his guest. Conversations could wait. He expected the stranger to be hungry, especially if the three were travelers. Out in the country, homes were few and far between. Hot meals weren’t incredibly accessible. Mike knew this was the case seeing the stranger’s attention had been split between him and the pot on the stove. Mike served a bowl for his guest first and a second for himself, giving him the comfort to watch him eat from the same batch. He placed the bowl on the table and gestured for the man to sit.

Mike’s oatmeal was nothing to shake a stick at but it was being absolutely  _devoured_  by Bill Denbrough. He might have taken it as a compliment to his cooking but Mike knew better. This man’s diet consisted of road trip foods. Beef jerky and trail mix as confirmed by the conversation they currently had by passing Mike’s notebook back and forth. It wasn’t the preferred channel of communication but at least he was going to get to pass this information onto Beverly and Rich. So far Mike learned about the Denbrough brothers, Bill and Georgie, who were traveling with one other. Eddie Kaspbrak. They all knew sign language, making Mike regretful for passing their book onto Richie for so many nights. In return, Mike told Bill about Richie and Bev, mentioning the run in with Georgie and explaining the pocket knife he might have found missing from his bag. Bill had noticed, but he told Mike he didn’t blame anyone for being cautious. He was especially impressed with the way they kept hidden even in his search. Bill hadn’t seen the doorway disguised with padding. He supposed it unusual, but something he passed without much thought.

The conversation was friendly, and Mike believed it had to be. While he had a very good feeling about Bill, he had to learn more before they thought about how to proceed. Bill hadn’t mentioned where the three were traveling. There was a good chance they were wandering for something solid, and if that was the case, Mike might want to offer them a permanent place to stay. He needed learn more about Eddie Kaspbrak, and discuss his thoughts with Bev and Richie, but it was seeming all too perfect to Mike. He wanted a community of good people and they were gravitating straight towards him.

Mike’s two main determining factors walked into the kitchen then, Richie before Beverly. He offered them a reassuring smile right off the bat. Bill Denbrough was a good man and Mike was quick to wave off their apprehension. However, Beverly continued to size him up. Based on what she saw, she decided what Richie said in the basement moments before was true. Beverly could take him in a fight if necessary. Richie might have been making a joke to comfort her, but Beverly took one look at Bill and saw straight through him. He could have been stronger physically, a real hero too, but she saw just another man who would underestimate her in any situation. That was okay. If push comes to shove, she held that over him.

Mike tore a page away from the notebook and wrote something for them both. “This is Bill Denbrough. Good guy. His brother and friend are upstairs. Really tired from traveling. We’re giving them a place to recharge today. And he would like his pocket knife back.” He kept his eyes on Richie as he waited for him to get to the last sentence. Richie didn’t appreciate the accusation that he had armed himself with a strangers knife. He had given it to  _Beverly_  to hold onto and possibly equip if the situation got hairy. She begrudgingly removed it from the pocket of her jean jacket and passed it off to Mike. He took a moment to look between them before sliding it to their guest. Bill watched with a hint of amusement, stuffing it into his back pocket right away.

Bill gestured for permission to use the notebook and kindly, Mike handed it off. “If it’s alright I’m going to bring Eddie and Georgie down to meet you all and eat.” Mike nodded, granting him permission before he finished writing. Bill smiled appreciatively before dismissing himself to fetch the two and fill Eddie in with where they were at. Mike had been nothing but gracious and he was sure Eddie would be delighted to hear that. When Bill found the note, he woke Eddie to show him. Bill instructed Eddie to stay behind with Georgie while he felt out the situation. Now he was returning to them with nothing but good news, feeling hopeful they might have found themselves a place to settle down with good people.

Mike picked the notebook up and handed it to Bev. Richie leaned over her shoulder and the two read through the conversation. Beverly softened at the adoration Bill had for his younger brother. He seemed decent for that reason alone. But Bev’s main take away was sympathy for the seven year old boy who had to travel for days at a time. Richie had been more focused on their communication. He had already seen for himself the fact that Georgie was fluent in signing. Discovering the two men knew the language as well was further encouragement to learn. He thought Georgie could teach him. The other three returned, and when Richie picked his head up to look at them all in the light, his lips twitched into an involuntary smile. The room actually got brighter when he laid eyes on the second man bounding down straight behind Bill. He peered down at the name down in the notebook again.

 _Eddie._  Eddie could teach him.

He remained close to Bill, watchful of Georgie as the kid made himself at home at the kitchen table. Eddie’s attention was eventually forced onto the new faces, offering a small smile. Mike sat up from the table to shake hands before moving towards the stove to serve Eddie and Georgie, but was stopped by a gentle hand on his arm. “It’s fine. I’ve got it. You’ve done enough.” Bill was beaming, mouthing the words as he signed them. Mike made out enough of it to smile appreciatively even though it was no trouble at all. He stepped away from his seat anyway, offering it to Eddie instead. The man’s expression became warmer as he accepted the chair beside Georgie’s.

Forgetting all the manners he never truly learned in the first place, Richie nabbed the seat next to Eddie before Beverly could even breathe in the same direction. Eddie’s eyes widened at the way the stranger threw himself down into the chair, close to creating noise if he were even the slightest bit more careless. Richie realized it hadn’t been the smoothest move but he maintained his composure. “S - U - P , E - D - S.” Richie winked, shortening the man’s name to save time on signing each letter. Eddie narrowed his eyes and glanced over to Bill serving food, unaware to what he was being subjected to. Georgie smiled, “He’s funny. Like a clown.” Eddie cracked a smile. Richie’s brows knitted with concern, recognizing the sign for clown and not liking the looks of that at all. Bill returned to the table, placing bowls in front of Georgie and Bill. He saw Beverly still standing and pulled the final chair out and gestured her to sit. Mike served coffee for the adults sitting at the table. Beverly finally took the seat when her mug was placed there.

While the four shared breakfast at the table, Mike stole Bill away to show him the home they created underground. It was just cozy enough to get their sleep in, but the basement doubled as their workshop too. Eddie watched Bill leave, not entirely comforted to be left behind to look after Georgie. Bill trusted quicker than he ever could. He didn’t understand the charm (or lack thereof) radiating off of the stranger beside him.  _“Sup, Eds?” Really?_  Eddie avoided conversation, stuffing oatmeal into his mouth like it was his first meal in years. Richie slid the notebook to himself from the center where it sat and started writing. Eddie didn’t glance at it before Richie moved it directly between them on the table.

“Do you like me? Check yes or no.” Written with two boxes drawn underneath, neither Eddie planned to check. He was finally compelled to really look at the eyes staring at him from behind thick frames. Dorky, he thought. But cute, not that Eddie planned to play into the silly flirting. He decided he didn’t mind the humor so much, but the situation was more serious than that. Eddie wasn’t interested. Richie caught on, tearing the page away when he didn’t receive the clear  _yes_ he wanted. “Did I forget to introduce myself? I’m Richie. This is my darling friend Bev right here. And Mike is the one who took your sweetheart downstairs.” Eddie continued to eat as Richie wrote but he stopped chewing once he caught sight of the word  _sweetheart._  He pointed to the word and shot Richie a look. He smirked and started writing again. “What? Got a vibe you have the hots for him. Is that not the case?” Eddie shook his head before Richie finished, this time paying clear attention to what the other was writing while he scribbled. He was quick to convince Richie otherwise, but that only spoke volumes to his suspicions. “Well Eds, I’m here if you need a shoulder to cry on during these tough times.” Eddie could have mistaken Richie’s smile as genuine. He stole the pen from his hand and wrote something, too.

“Don’t call me Eds.”

Richie stared at Eddie with a fondness Beverly was sure she hadn’t seen yet. He mouthed the word  _“Cute”_ to the man beside him. Eddie’s nose scrunched up in reply. Beverly watched, astounded at Richie’s flirting. She didn’t understand how someone could develop heart eyes for a stranger like that, but if anyone could manage that, it was Richie Tozier. Beverly could smack the back of his head for messing around so much.

After openly talking downstairs Mike and Bill returned to the group, calling for everyone’s attention. “We’re all heading downstairs when breakfast is finished.” Bill signed for Eddie and Georgie’s benefit. Mike only nodded. Beverly and Rich would follow when it was time.

* * *

“So you just volunteered to be the guinea pig for these people to test out their stupid bunker?” Eddie signed. Even if Richie’s had learned the whole language, his hands were moving too fast for him to distinguish the specific movements. Bill gave Eddie a look, replying calmly. “While we’re staying here, we pull our weight. This is where we start.” Unlike his friend, he spoke as he signed the words. When the two were alone, Mike told him about the work that went into soundproofing the basement and how they made it as a sanctuary to breathe easy at the end of the day. When Bill asked how much sound they could block inside, Mike couldn’t offer a real answer.

_“I’ll test it.”_

_Mike declined the offer, but Bill insisted he owed him for the hospitality. “If you’re looking to stay here long Bill, all I have to do is discuss it with Beverly and Richie. You don’t have to put yourself in any harm for us.”_

_“I’d really like to stay, Mike. And I want to do this for you. We’ll all be able to breathe easier.”_

Bill kissed Georgie’s forehead and gave Eddie a smile. “It’s going to be okay. Promise.” He nudged Eddie’s arm before turning for the stairs. He had confidence in the soundproofing, even if half the faces in the room watched him leave like it was going to be the last time they ever saw him. Everyone remained silent after the door shut with Bill on the other side, but that defeated the purpose of their experiment.

Beverly decided it was time to dust off the record player Mike had sitting on table pushed up against the corner. “I’ve been eyeing this for a while.” She broke the ice, loading up the first record within reach. She hit the switch and placed the needle onto the groove. The record crackled and the song started. Eddie crossed his arms, uncomfortable with sound even at the lowest setting.

There was no action from Bill so for all they knew, he couldn’t hear a thing. Beverly raised the volume. Still, nothing. She kept pressing forward until the record player was at full volume. It wasn’t much of a stereo, though. At its loudest, the music was tame. There was opportunity for them to cause louder noise, especially with their growing number of residents.

Richie stepped up to the plate, cracking his knuckles as he sauntered towards the staircase. “Just to be sure, before I  _really_  put this to the test.. Georgie can’t hear anything?”  
  
“No, Richie. Can’t hear anything when you’re deaf.” Eddie quipped, squeezing Georgie’s hand.  
  


“Mmm, alright. Who’s up for a thrilling round of the penis game? I’ll start.” Richie cleared his throat before shouting the word  _penis,_  his volume peaking over the music. Eddie rubbed his hands over his face as if he felt a headache settling in. “Who wants next? Beverly? Mike?”

Bev crossed her arms. “Richie, not a single person in this room has the humor of a five year old like you do. Georgie included.” Richie replied with a blank stare before his body leaned in the direction of the door again, shouting the word  _penis_  again but louder. Still, the door didn’t budge. Mike shook his head and removed the needle from the record. Richie could have called it quits too but the opportunity to yell and mouth off was a rare one. He was taking what he could and ran with it.

“Okay, if you you guys don’t want to play I’ll try something different.” Richie offered. The other three adults seemed relieved for just a moment before Richie started shouting louder again. “Bill Denbrough! If you got a crush on our dear Eds here, come on down!” This game was more fun for Richie anyway, watching annoyance rise onto Eddie’s face, betrayed by his eyes as they flickered up to the door. But nothing. “Made you look.” Richie smirked. “That means you’re available though, right?” Eddie narrowed his eyes at the man and raised a middle finger to him. Georgie, still at his side, shoved his arm for the gesture. Eddie flushed. “Sorry,” He signed.  
  


“Okay, Billium! If you have a crush on  _Beverly Marsh,_  speak now or forever hold your peace!” Richie’s louder shouting was followed by a pause of silence before the door creaked open. Bill entered carefully and closed it again, stepping down to greet Richie just at the bottom. He didn’t understand the wicked grin on his face but he didn’t pay it much mind. “Were you guys making noise that whole time? I only just heard something, but it was still so quiet.”

  
“Okay, folks. There we have it! Hope we’re all satisfied with those results.” Bill could only assume Richie was talking about their test, grinning at Eddie and Mike. Everything worked out as expected.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @delicateloser ur literally so cute… my number one fan… my only fan 
> 
> getting closer to hinting at why everyone has to be quiet but i still wouldnt consider this a spoiler ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ also georgie is infinitely seven, alive, and adorable

Mike spent the better half of the afternoon showing Bill around the property from the flourishing garden to the outskirts of the field where his collection of tools went unused. They might be useful yet, but it was difficult maintaining a whole farm without making any noise. His barn was run down and all his animals had gone, the shock of losing them had left him hopeless for a while. It took a lot to restore his faith that things were ever going to look the same as they once did, but he had help. Someone that pointed towards what there was left in the world. **  
**

Bill caught his attention, fingers grazing his arm to pull his focus from out of the trees past the barn in the thicker forest. He had been studying a map of the area, making note of the highlighted landmarks he didn’t want to visit just yet. Not without Eddie. But now while the sun was setting, Bill needed to return to both him and Georgie, mouthing the words _“home”_  and  _“please”_  to Mike when the man finally shook his thoughts. The sun was just beginning to set and he didn’t want to chance finding their way in the dark, not when he was always so focused on each step he took. Mike would apologize for losing himself if he could, instead obliging and leading the way back to everyone else.

Bill was eager to finally speak with Mike downstairs, opening his mouth to speak the minute the basement door shut. “Mike, you really have no idea how good you have it here. It’s quiet, you have so much surrounding you. I mean, the river is perfect. We can set traps in the forest. You know there have to be some animals still around..” Everyone glanced towards the stairs as the two entered. Bev was sitting in the nook, the last to eat after she fed their guests. Richie sat on the plush rug across Georgie. Eddie rejected every plea he made to teach him ASL, and so resulted in Georgie being Richie’s instructor. He still complained to Eddie who sat on the couch and watched, insisting the lessons would be a lot easier if his teacher could really hear him out. But Eddie shut him down, informing him Georgie was a decent lip reader. He was an unrelenting teacher too, snapping his fingers at Richie everytime he lost focus. It happened often, showing off the newly learned phrases to Eddie who in turn griped about Richie getting his movements mixed up. “I think you could really do with some lighting outside, though. You know, extend the time we have outside. You never know, we might have to travel outside during the night. It’s better to have the paths lit. You guys have energy to spare right?”

Mike had been iffy about the traps, but outdoor lighting that reached beyond the porch seemed like a brilliant idea. “Oh, hell yeah! Do you know how freaky it is having to piss outside in the dark, no clue to what the fuck is lurking out there? I’m all for that, Billy boy.” Georgie grabbed Richie by the face, pulling him back into the lesson. “Sorry.” Richie replied, earning furrowed brows. “ _Shit,”_  He cursed under his breath before finally signing his  _“sorry,”_ causing Georgie to smile before continuing where they left off. While Eddie had been briefly amused by the boys in front of him, he looked back to Bill and Mike. His friend was quick to devise a plan to contribute to the group but Eddie still had to wonder if this place was the best fit for them. Bill tended to get ahead of himself with these decisions.

“That’s great actually, wouldn’t mind that at all.” Mike smiled. “You’ll need someone out there with you to grab supplies. Rich and Bev are the ones who go out on runs so-”

“Rich has a project tomorrow!” Richie blurted before Mike could pawn the activity off his way. Bev stirred immediately.

“You’re going to tinker with the radio all day, Richie?” The room grew tense as the two shrugged off the task of accompanying Bill out towards town.

“You want it working. Don’t you, Marsh?” Deflated, Beverly couldn’t argue. On top of Richie staying behind, there had been something unspoken about Mike never going out of his way into town. There were times where he left the farm, never coming back with much besides food from their own garden. Where he went, Richie and Bev had never asked, but anywhere far had been ruled off the list a while ago. Bev couldn’t imagine him volunteering to join them on their trip.

“Beverly?” She forced herself to drop her stiffening shoulders when Bill spoke. “I would really appreciate the help, just for a day. It’ll just be me and Georgie. He’s really good when we’re out, promise.” He could see Eddie narrow his eyes in his peripheral as he watched Bev, but Bill knew bringing Georgie instead of the other man could bring her comfort. She wasn’t familiar with him or Eddie yet, and Bill didn’t blame her for being cautious.

Beverly glanced at Georgie and nodded, extended a a half hearted smile towards Bill. “Yeah, no problem.” She agreed, Mike releasing bated breath after she forfeited her reluctance.

* * *

While Mike offered to help haul a few mattresses downstairs for their guests, Bill insisted the three were accustomed to being quiet as mice. The lack of soundproofing wasn’t an issue. Settling into rooms upstairs worked for them. This way, Eddie was free to spout off in sign language without Bill having to worry about how rude it was when Bev, Mike, and Rich couldn’t keep up. Bill knew he was in for it, too. After excluding him from his plans to find lighting supplied, Eddie hadn’t communicated a word to him all night. He helped get Georgie into bed before finding a separate room to stay the night. It wasn’t until Bill checked in on him the following morning before breakfast that Eddie let him know what was on his mind. “What am I supposed to do today, Bill? Wait on you to come back from wherever the hell you’re taking Georgie? I won’t even know where that will be! How am I supposed to find you if you need help?”

“I don’t want you to wait for us. We’ll be fine. Beverly is going to show us the way.” Bill signed, using the sign Georgie made for Beverly’s name. He made Mike and Richie’s too. Eddie rolled his eyes when Bill used it, though. “You’ll be here with Richie. If anything happens, he’ll know where to find us.” Eddie buried his face in his hands at the thought of ever having to depend on  _him._  “You should get to know him and Mike.”

“Infuriating.” Eddie signed about either Bill or Richie, Bill wasn’t sure.

* * *

The six had a silent breakfast together in the kitchen. Richie passed notes to Eddie who in turn used them as makeshift coasters for his cup of coffee. That didn’t deter him from doodling up stick figures of him and Eddie surrounded by swarms of love hearts. Bill was ready to leave as soon as Georgie finished his food, gathering the bag he packed while Bev did the same. He did feel bad about the way he was leaving Eddie, but he compensated by instructing Georgie to give him a tight hug before they left. Georgie jumped on it, squeezing his arms around Eddie with a smile that made the man soften, hugging back just as tight. Eddie kissed his head before having Georgie look at him. “Be careful. Don’t stray from Bill.” The boy grinned and nodded, “I won’t. Promise.” The two pinky promised on it and it had everyone in the room smiling, Eddie included. Georgie took Bill’s hand and Eddie watched them follow Beverly outside, sighing softly.

They were gone a few minutes when Mike stood from the table, too. He cleared the dishes left behind by the others before grabbing a bag sitting on the counter. “C, U.” He signed with a gentle smirk, still stuck on the alphabet but it was enough for Richie to salute him off like he often did. Eddie’s brows knitted as he walked away, looking for any scrap of paper to write on.

“Where is he going??????”

Richie smirked. “don’t know. ready to spend the day with me, sugar?”

* * *

Communication didn’t flow between Beverly and Bill like it could have. Runs with Richie included a lot of meaningful eye contact, projecting their thoughts onto each other the best they could. Years of spending so much time together gave them an advantage, but it helped that Beverly actually  _stopped,_ looked at him once in while. She was all but leaving Bill in the dust to get from Point A to Point B in the fastest time possible. **  
**

Regrettably, she was forgetting about Georgie and the fact that a seven year old couldn’t move as fast as she traveled, and he wasn’t ever fond of being left behind. He watched her, smiling when she stopped, head snapping towards the thick of the forest. Georgie didn’t see the panic that flashed over her or Bill. His older brother quickly grabbed at his arm and missed when Georgie walked ahead to grab Beverly’s hand, taking advantage of her halt. Her alerted gaze shifted onto him, her tension releasing when Georgie smiled up at her brightly. She glanced back to the forest, now silent again, thinking it safe to continue. Beverly confirmed with Bill, finally looking his way before walking on again.

The three progressed carefully and quietly, Beverly hand in hand with Georgie who was hand in hand with Bill. None of them shook the other off until they were standing in front of the town’s abandoned superstore, windows long since smashed in. Bill’s hand broke away first, signing to Georgie and for the millionth time stressed the importance of being quiet. He might not have fully understood how stepping slowly or lightly was any any different than running, never having heard the sound of either, but he trusted Bill when he said it made a difference. Georgie always tried his best to mirror Bill’s movements to make his brother proud.

Bev didn’t know much about what Bill was looking for, some sort of outdoor lighting he wanted to extend past the house and out towards the woods. She lead the way the the general direction of where he might find lighting but she stopped at the end of the aisle. She didn’t imagine Bill needed any more help picking out and grabbing what he needed. Beverly had promised to pick up a few things for Mike, anyway. She released Georgie’s hand and shone a smile at his curious little face while Bill went and started looking for what he visioned. “B - R - B” Beverly signed, ruffling Georgie’s hair before parting ways.

Georgie frowned, finding Bill immediately. He tugged on his sleeve for attention. “What’s B - R - B?” Bill looked up to search for Bev, finding her nowhere in sight.

* * *

“I’d get it if it were just me and him, I really would. Then he could make whatever decisions he wanted. I wouldn’t bat an eye. But come on! What about Georgie-?”

Richie was having a difficult time getting a word in edgewise. He made one joke about the two hottest guys in the group being left alone in an empty house complete with soundproof basement, and then Eddie’s complaints started rolling in. It started with trashing on Richie for his jokes then segued over to the people responsible for leaving the two alone. He had a lot more questions about where Mike snuck off to than Richie had ever considered. And then  _Bill._

“Like, we  _finally_ find a place to stay a few nights and then he hauls his brother off on some stupid half-baked mission anyway? Georgie should be resting. Sitting down with a book. I keep telling Bill it’s important he still gets his school lessons in but  _no,_  that’s too sensible right?” Richie had to wonder who was stuck with who here. He found himself glancing at the roll of tape on his desk now and again, thinking  _if only._

Eddie paused and Richie could only assume it was for a breath of air, finally. “And how do you know Bill anyway?” He snuck the question in before any more complaints could start rolling out. Eddie crossed his arms. Richie guessed he had to have known the guy beforehand, otherwise he wouldn’t be caught hanging around someone who pushed his buttons like that.

“Knew him in grade school.” Eddie kicked down his volume, really grabbing Richie’s attention now. “Didn’t talk much then. He was on the baseball team, but he was always really nice.” Richie pushed his chair an inch away from his work desk, staring at Eddie with an interest that made the other shorten his story. “I became a teacher’s assistant after college. Georgie was in my class, and then me and Bill just reconnected when he recognized me. Helped him with his ASL.”

“Oh, so you’ll teach  _him._ ” Richie smiled.

“Get over it, Richard.”

“Richie! R - I - C - H - I - E” He signed out each letter, getting quicker at that. Eddie shook his head, brief fondness appearing in the shape of a smile.

“You know Georgie named you in sign language.” Eddie signed it, wondering if he would come to regret showing him. But if Eddie could say anything nice about Richie, it was the he was good with Georgie. “It’s like the sign for funny, with an R.” Richie beamed, his bright expression affecting Eddie and causing him to smile too.

“He’s a sweet kid,” Richie said. “Hasn’t shown any signs of being scared for a second. Kind of amazing.”

Eddie shrugged, allowing the smile to fade naturally. “What about you and Bev? How do you her?” Richie supposed it was a good time to take a break from working on the radio, leaning back in his seat.

“We grew up in the same shitty apartment complex. Played together after school everyday until cooties were a thing and girls became icky.” Richie watched the fond smile reappear on Eddie’s face, smirking too. “They stopped being icky in high school, though. We always walked to school together, had each other’s backs in the halls ya’ know. We took a year off together after graduation, traveled a bunch. She’s loyal as shit, basically. A really good person to keep around, Kaspbrak. I promise you that.” Richie snuck in his seal of approval. Eddie hadn’t taken to everyone the way the Denbroughs had.

Eddie appreciated the effort to alleviate his concerns, even if he still wasn’t quick to trust the new group only just met. “I’ll keep that in mind, Tozier. Thank you.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @delicateloser thank you for waiting through this chapter until i got it just right n then making me feel like its actually okay lol
> 
> theres just a lil, lil tiny bit of nsfw at the beginning but nothing graphic! but three cheers for stanlon!

Mike eased Stan onto the bed, breath already hot and heavy between them. Every kiss was chased with another, hardly ever taking the time to stop. The lack of oxygen coming didn’t phase either man. When their heads got dizzy, they blamed it on the rush of overwhelming emotions. The only breaks they took were ones used to lift the shirts off of the other. It happened quickly every time, desperately pulling the clothes off of each other to get closer. Every brush of skin was relief. Stan was sanctuary for Mike, and being accepted by him, he felt  _hope._  And a lot more than just that.

Mike’s hands left temporary bruises on Stan’s skin. Holding him so closely and so tightly was the only way to avoid making too much noise, but Stan never minded. He craved being cherished, encouraging it every time. The bruises served at reminders for when it was all over. And although unintentional, Stan left him with some of the same. His nails always dug into Mike’s arms, his back, when he gripped onto him. If it stung his skin, Mike never showed it.

Their sex was passionate every time whether they took it slow, worshipping each other’s bodies with kissing and touching that lasted hours, or when things went quicker and they bruised each other far more than necessary. They used their physical contact to communicate, and every single touch Mike left on Stan’s skin spelled out  _love._  Every time things were finished, Stan was the first one out of his own bed.

It wasn’t always so abrupt. Sometimes Mike got to hold him. Rest his head on Stan’s shoulder a while. Mike remembered a time a month back when they spent an entire day in bed together before the other man got up and dressed in the same clothes he put on that morning. It was a bittersweet memory that came to Mike’s mind often.

Their time together today was short. Stan pecked Mike’s lips once before he was out of bed again, picking up the clothes Mike discarded to cover up the damage he had done. Stan never asked Mike to leave, but he only ever felt obliged to do so whenever Stan disconnected like that. Mike accepted that as the way things would be with Stan. He was a welcome guest into his life and his home only up until he wasn’t again.

“Holy shit, Mike! What tore you up?” Richie’s voice was barely audible above the sound of rushing water. The group traveled to the river together, getting their washing up done before all retired home for the day. Everyone else had gone ahead while Richie and Mike dropped down their bags of laundry. Mike had slipped out of his t-shirt before Richie stole his focus. He glanced back towards the scratched in question.

“Guess we have ghosts, Rich.”

Richie’s eyes lit up, running to the rest of the group with that answer. “Hey! Did you hear this guy? We have  _ghosts!_  Eddie spaghetti, what’s the sign for ghosts?”

“What the  _fuck_  did you just call me?”

“Big Bill! Help me out here! What’s the sign?”

“You can’t tell Georgie we have ghosts, Richie.” Richie frowned, wondering how Bill knew. “Eddie, could you watch him please?” Eddie nodded, but he watched skeptically as Bill stepped away to go talk to Bev. She had removed herself from conversation and yet Bill sought out to talk to her anyway.

“So, just you and me again.. huh Eds?” Richie stood with his hands on his hips, wearing nothing but shorts to cover his pale skin. There were specs of water on his glasses and Eddie wondered how the man could stand them being so dirty in the first place.

“And.. Georgie..” He replied incredulously. Richie was ridiculous but Eddie refused to believe he really didn’t notice the fact he was busy helping Georgie wash his hair.

“Oh, yeah..” Eddie watched Richie’s confidence falter for all of two seconds before he smirked again. “Wanna bathe me next?” Richie asked, in turn receiving a soapy splash to the face.

“Beverly? I want to thank you again for taking us into town.” Bill started the conversation innocently, speaking while Bev continued on washing herself, unbothered.

“Like I said before, Bill. It’s no problem.” She forced the straight line on her face into a smile that lasted no more than five seconds except she found Bill still lingering around with more to say.

“I just- I was wondering..” Beverly stopped all motion and  _really_ looked at Bill. “When you disappeared in the store.. Do you do that a lot? Go off alone? You know I could have followed and made sure you were okay. Watched your back.”

Bev smirked. “Did you worry about me, Bill?” The sudden avalanche of eye contact was more than Bill bargained for, her playful tone helped deepen the red in his cheeks too. “I can take care of myself.” She promised.

“Of course. But for what it’s worth, I’m here for you if you  _do_  ever need the help. Like Mike or Richie would be. We could all stand feeling a little more safe I think.”

Beverly smiled, and this time Bill could feel the warmth. “I appreciate it. Thanks, Bill.”

Laundry was strung out to dry on clotheslines, swaying with the breeze underneath the moonlight. Dinner was shared between a new family of six. Everyone retired to the basement to occupy themselves until bedtime. Mike and Bill sat around a rough sketch of the farm, mapping out where they saw it fit to hang his lights. Eddie attempted to get Georgie to read from one of Mike’s old story books, however, the boy was constantly looking over his shoulder toward everyone else. He was curious and Eddie was trying to be patient. It was difficult for even him to focus when all he could hear was Richie  _not so silently_  pester Beverly about the mood she had been in. Richie had taken account of the fact that she had lightened up after their trip to the river, but he knew her all too well and knew there was more cheering up to be done. Eddie heard it all and he was sure Richie was only making it worse by running his mouth in her ear like that.

When talking failed, Richie gave her space.  _Thank god,_  Eddie thought. He looked down when Georgie shut the book, smiling to see him finish. He was ready to fire questions to test Georgie on what he just read (if he was really reading all that time) but before he could start, Eddie and every other adult turned when Richie started playing a record out of the blue.

Richie spotted some disagreeable faces, turning it around before he could get any complaints. “Look, if you don’t like Neil Young, Mike is to blame. Not me. I mean, come on Mike. What do you really have here.. Bill Haley and the Comets? Little Richard? The Temptations?”

Bill cracked a smile. “You don’t like my music, Richie?” Mike replied, chin resting in his palm now that Richie stole both their attention from their work.

“I mean they’re okay.. if you’re pushing  _102 years old._ ”

“You know those were my parents’ records.” Richie paused.

“I did  _not_  know that,” He stated, sharply turning on his heels straight after. “Beverly.” Richie shot Bev a huge grin that even Eddie would describe as charming. “You’re lookin’ awfully pretty under this here moonlight darlin’, think you might wanna join this ol’ country boy for a dance?”

“God, what  _is_  that voice?” Eddie asked, trying to think of a time he’s heard a worse Southern accent. He was coming up blank.

“Settle down, lil’ bronco. You’ll get your turn.” Richie winked and grinned at Eddie smugly, the silly voice having served its purpose in getting Beverly out of her seat. She took Richie’s hand and followed him to the empty space in front of the coffee table.

“One dance, Rich.” Beverly insisted though she wore a gentle smile on her face. She told herself she agreed to get Richie off her back, but maybe she did need to relax after today.

Richie grinned back. “Whatever does the trick.” Beverly would not admit to need cheering up, but the fact that Rich tried so hard, it really was enough.

Mike and Bill decided they did enough preparing for tomorrow, the music doing wonders when it came to getting everyone to unwind, Eddie being the lone exception. Instead he wanted to fold into himself the moment Bill dropped down on the couch next time. When Eddie looked up, he saw Bill’s eyes concentrated on the couple slow dancing in front of them as expected. “Have they been dating long?” Eddie could roll his eyes at Bill’s interest but in fact, they both looked up to Mike who stood behind the couch with arms crossed and a knowing smile rising to his cheeks.

“Guys,” Mike called, pulling Bev and Richie’s attention away from each other. They really could pass for a couple, even if it was for just a few seconds at a time like now when they moved together so closely, so in sync. Eddie knew Bill was being ridiculous with the assumption, but for a moment, he felt like Mike was interrupting an intimate moment between two people who really loved each other. “These two think you’re dating.”

Bill’s face reddened, and Eddie’s did too, just not so severely. “I just-” Bill started, but Beverly was quick to shut that idea down even if Mike already hinted it wasn’t true.

“No. Not dating.” She shook her head, the idea of dating her best friend gave her the feeling of bugs crawling on her skin and that needed to be shaken  _immediately._

“Not..  _anymore_ …” Richie followed, staring at Beverly with a dramatically sorrowed expression, throwing Eddie off.

“We dated for a hot second in high school, Rich. Doesn’t even count.” She retorted, setting things straight just for the record.

“Hottest second of my life, Beverly Marsh.” Richie replied with a playful smirk, dropping the dramatics from before. The entire exchange was telling Eddie that it wasn’t just him, Richie couldn’t manage being serious with  _anyone_  for more than a few seconds at a time. And despite the twists, Bill seemed happy to with what information there was to be gathered. His knee bounced when the song ended and the couple began to part ways.

Much like Beverly and Richie knew each other well, Eddie could already anticipate Bill’s next actions, and it was giving him a headache. However, Georgie was quicker to shoot up from the couch. “I want to dance,” He beamed up at Beverly, her heart melted instantly. She didn’t need sign language to understand. She took Georgie’s hand and started twirling him as Richie walked away, smiling at the boy’s confidence.

“Did you guys see that? I step away for a second and the kid cuts right in.” Richie was humored, and only Mike seemed to reciprocate. “He’s real lucky he’s adorable. Otherwise I might have to have a word.” Truthfully, he knew Georgie was doing a better job at getting Beverly outside of her own head. But now it looked like Eddie needed help with the same.

“I’m going to sit outside for a while before bed.” Eddie dismissed himself. Bill gave him a half smile and nodded, otherwise watching his little brother dance with Beverly. Richie watched him go, waiting for Bill to follow, but he never did.

Richie continued to wait around for a while before finally, he just couldn’t stand still. “I’m going for a smoke, Mike.” He said quietly, patting Mike’s shoulder on his way out. Richie tried the front porch, and then the back, finding Eddie sitting on the stairs. The man didn’t realize he was there until he was already perched right down beside him. Richie showed him his box of cigarettes to explain. He offered one to Eddie, but it was turned down. Richie nodded and placed the cig between his lips, lighting the end behind a cupped hand. He took two or three drags before he glanced in Eddie’s direction, watching the man’s nose crinkle ever so slightly as he stared ahead of himself. Richie put the cigarette out soon after.

Richie tapped his fingers on his knee, biding his time while he waited for whatever was bothering Eddie to dissipate in the wind. But Eddie’s tension grew with the silence and it wasn’t going anywhere until he said something.

“I’m angry,” He signed. Richie’s motions stopped in attempt to listen, but at his most focused he still wasn’t going to know what was being said. “I don’t want to be here. I hate following Bill everywhere, doing whatever he says. I want to go home. I don’t care if nobody is there. I want to just stop caring about Georgie, and caring about  _him._  And I fucking can’t.” Eddie vented, and only because he knew Richie would never be able to keep up. But when he turned to the man, he was scooting closer next to him on the step, warm hand planting on his shoulder. Eddie released his breath and stared ahead of himself again.

Richie’s hand moved to Eddie’s in effort to comfort him further. He was surprised the other man allowed it, and he he even thought Eddie was about to smile, but Richie was retracted his hand before he knew for sure. Eddie suddenly looked over to see Richie shrugging his jean jacket off of his shoulders to drape it around Eddie’s. He tried shaking his head no but Richie had made his decision. Eddie’s hand was much colder than his. He hadn’t anticipated the chilly breeze of the night like Richie, and he wouldn’t protest anymore now that he felt the warmth of his jacket enveloping him. Eddie hugged the fabric around him and mouthed a “thank you,” earning him a nod.

Another minute of silence past between them and Eddie felt a wave of comfort wash over him. He turned to Richie who watched the clouds slowly rolling beneath moonlight until their eyes met. Richie smiled, and Eddie did too.

They didn’t stay outside for much longer. After Eddie let go all that he needed to say, he was feeling ready for bed. The two parted ways as the stairway. “Goodnight.” Eddie signed, going upstairs with Richie’s jacket still hanging off of his shoulders. Richie watched him leave with a smile brighter than moonlight before descending down to the basement himself. Bill and Georgie were gone, Mike was already tucked in bed, sure to be the first person up the next morning. Beverly looked just about ready to go to sleep too, but Richie had to check in one last time.

“Bev?” The woman was just pulling at the corner of the blankets when Richie called to her. “You doing okay.” She smiled and nodded.

Beverly sat on the edge of the bed and gestured to the space next to her, Richie immediately fell to her side. “You know I love you so much, Rich. And I appreciate everything you do for me. I just missed him so much today.”

Richie nodded and hugged his arm around her. “I know, Bev. I miss him too.”

She soaked in his comfort for a minute before finally complaining. “Thanks Richie, but you can get off now. You’re freezing.” Beverly sat up and nudged Richie right back off of the mattress.

Richie got up, grinning her way. “The things we do for love, huh?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @delicateloser thank you for having patience w me complaining about writers block, im insufferable but u stick w me and i like u for that
> 
> this is a stan/stanlon heavy chapter! i was gonna save this stuff for later but ive been having trouble writing anything at all n focusing on stan helped! idk but there is a soft spot in my heart for stan the man uris

Mike’s face had been a familiar one for Stan, before everything. It was a face he had seen occasionally for what he realized to have been all of his life. Stan had a fair amount of distinct memories locked up in the storage unit of his brain. One of which dated back to when he was six years old, sitting in the waiting room of the pediatrician’s office. Stan cried in anticipation of the shots his mother warned him about. He didn’t whine the way the other kids did out of boredom and wanting to go home to their toys. Stan’s tears rolled down his cheeks as he sat still, hands flat against his lap, somewhere between wishing the nurse would call his name so he could get past the fear already and wishing his name was never called at all. **  
**

 _“Michael Hanlon,”_  Stan pursed his bottom lip and wiped his cheeks even though his nerves only caused more tears to fall. He watched a boy stand from the floor, dropping a crayon onto the kid’s table he had been sitting at. That kid had been quiet and unafraid, Stan thought. He watched as the boy’s mother went straight to the nurse, sniffling before he realized the boy himself stopped to offer him something.

“I’m scared of doctors, too. I like to draw though. It helps me not think about it. You can have this.” The boy handed his crayola masterpiece to Stan. He immediately recognized it as a recreation of the painting hanging up on the wall opposite. It was a pot of purple flowers often overlooked between the television and chest of toys entertaining all of the kids in the waiting room. But the two boys took notice.

The one detail Stan couldn’t remember was whether or not he thanked the boy for the picture. He does remember asking his mother what kind of flowers were in the painting.  _Lilacs._  And he does very distinctly remember the fact that the time spent waiting for the nurse to call his name passed easier afterwards. The tears stopped falling and Stan kept the crayola drawing close to him during his full visit. He remembers keeping a lookout for this boy at school, absently staring through crowds of children during recess and assemblies. He actively searched for him for about two or three weeks before giving up. Stan didn’t find out why he didn’t see him in school until years later.

* * *

By the time Stan was in high school and wanted to watch a movie in theater, he opted to go alone, usually straight after school on a weekday. Most folks were at work or picking their children from school. From what Stan understood, kids his age liked to spend their time after school eating at the local diners or heading to their friend’s houses to play video games or something to that effect. Stan didn’t know for certain. Any connections he made at school were made out of convenience when he was occasionally assigned a seat next to someone he deemed tolerable. He never imagined himself seeking out a friendship that existed outside of school.

Stan’s experiences attending afternoon movies never gave him any cause to second guess his decision. In most instances, he shared the movie theater with five other customers. Ten at most. He didn’t anticipate things would be any different for his viewing of Black Swan. Stan certainly didn’t expect anyone his age would pick the critically acclaimed film over the flashier options marketed for teenagers. He was sitting when he heard the commotion, starting off faintly, enter the room. A group of eight paraded in through the theater. The increase in volume made Stan nervous. He glanced in their direction for a split second to access and ease his confusion. Stan gritted his teeth as the group shuffled into the row directly behind his.

It was a challenge for Stan to keep still and not walk out of the movie, switch seats because of the rowdy teens behind him. Listening to their conversation, he learned the sole reason they were there was due to a supposed scene between the two actresses. Stan hadn’t been aware of it and suddenly felt embarrassed to be in the theater at all. His embarrassment grew when he felt something land at the back of his head. Stan reached his hand up, brushing popcorn from his hair. “Come here for the lesbians too, didn’t you?” The voice was followed by an eruption of laughter. Stan’s cheeks went hot. “Probably came here alone to jack it!” A separate voice joined, making him cringe.

Stan didn’t turn his head until someone slipped into his own row. His whole body flinched, lead to believe it was one of the boys preparing to really hurt him. Then Stan really saw him, sighing to himself. “Hey! You messing with my guy here?” Stan eyed him as he reached behind the seats to greet the group seated behind them, his wide grin just as unthreatening as his voice had been. They endearingly referred to him as  _homeschool._  Of course- someone who had been homeschooled was more popular and charismatic than himself, Stan thought for a moment. But he was more so stuck on the fact that it was  _him._  The boy he could never find. Stan had no trouble recognizing him. The kindness confirmed it all.

When he was done greeting, he slipped down to the seat next to Stan who faced forward again once the incident blew over. “Is this okay?” He asked gently. Stan looked up, quickly trying to decipher if the boy recognized him too. No, he decided. It was far too small an interaction from years ago. Only Stan clung onto moments like that. But he nodded, grateful to have been saved the teasing and whatever else would have happened without  _homeschool_  there. If Stan had been six again, he would have been over the moon to have found who he thought should have been his first friend. But Stan had long since abandoned that hope and couldn’t find it in himself to make conversation even if he really wanted to. Instead, Stan attempted to focus on the trailers rolling in. It was difficult when Stan couldn’t name a time when he had ever been sat so close to anyone before. Stan crossed his arms to keep to himself and pushed the fact that their knees brushed every so often to the back of his mind.

The movie itself was easier to get lost in. Stan thought of all the positive reviews and how the critics got it right. He was occasionally swayed into turning his head each time he felt the boy beside him react to something on screen, but he otherwise kept his focus despite the grumbles behind him. The group of teens had a lot of complaining to do when the film wasn’t all about the action they were hoping for. They all disbanded as soon as the scene past, and while Stan had felt uncomfortable and tense during, he cracked a small smile at the way the boy beside him shook his head while they flooded through the exit. His shoulders dropped, rid of the fear of having to shake any more popcorn from his hair.

Overall, Stan enjoyed the movie and was really thankful for the fact that he didn’t have to abandon the theater. Just before he credits, Stan felt an awkward thump in his chest at the thought of speaking to boy the beside him. Before getting carried away with his anxieties, homeschool stood. “Sorry for crashing your movie and invading like that. But you know-” He shrugged and Stan understood it was an attempt to apologize for the teasing he hadn’t been tied to in the first place. He nodded in reply. “It was a good movie, though.” The boy’s grin was so warm, Stan could feel it in his chest. He sat frozen, watching him as he walked out of the theater alone. It only struck him then that the boy showed up by himself, too. Stan thought on it for a moment or two before collecting himself, last to leave the theater after all the credits passed.

After that day, Stan couldn’t  _stop_  seeing that face around town. Whenever he stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner, or the days when Stan checked out a particular book from the library, he was there. He noticed him every single time their paths had crossed. Stan’s heart made sure to beat harder when he was around, too. Every happenstance made Stan curious, causing him to wonder if it meant anything. Stan did not believe in fate, or that anything was meant to be. But he wondered about  _him._  Even when he didn’t want to.

* * *

Stan did manage to stop wondering, for years. He found a full life outside of the small town he grew up in. When he went off to university, a lot changed. Everything started to fall into line for Stan, as it should have. There was so much planning that went into his future. For the longest time, life had shown Stanley Uris no obstacles. He shouldn’t have been surprised when life ripped everything away from him all at one. But he was surprised. Stan was absolutely devastated.

All the confidence Stan gained over years of fulfilling everything he set out to do by his early twenties, gone. He lost his voice again. The white picket fence caved in far too soon for Stan. He wasn’t concerned with survival when there was no picture perfect life to preserve. But there Stan stood. By whatever force of nature  _he_  was safe. And it felt like he was the only one. He continued on with his daily routine- getting out of bed, shaving, dressing, eating- he did it all out of habit. Stan was numb, but he clung onto every little thing that felt normal.

Bird watching was an occasional hobby before. When he had his job, his responsibilities, Stan couldn’t dedicate more than a weekend afternoon to the activity. Now it was all he  _could_  do to fill his time. The melody from the trees weren’t a cause for any alarm, and maybe Stan could appreciate that. The birds he spotted didn’t have to worry about anything down below. Nothing changed for them, and for a while, Stan could get lost watching them and pretend the same was true for him too.

There were days Stan was disappointed by the outcome of his watching. It was difficult to predict what he would come across day to day. Some afternoons, there were no birds chirping within an earshot of the field behind his little country home. Some days, he heard noises. Strange ones that caused him to wince before looking toward the source, somewhere beyond the trees of the woods. If his gaze lingered for too long, too curious to shut his eyes, he saw too much. He would spend his time sat under the shade of his oak tree frozen for too long, willing his ignorance back, mentally scrubbing the images from his mind. But they came back to him late at night when everything was dark, quiet extending for miles in every direction.

Despite his fears, he was out in the field everyday watching. Waiting for his birds. Or waiting for Mike Hanlon.

Stan hadn’t seen a soul in weeks, and he knew part of that was his fault. He hadn’t been going out of his way looking for anybody. Stan didn’t care to find just  _anybody._  Everyone in his life was gone, he knew that for certain. But Stan didn’t ever stop to think about the man who had been in and out of his life from the beginning. The man that meant  _something_  to him without ever really knowing him at all.

Mike found him under that oak tree. And Stan would never understand how. Out of miles and miles of field, any direction he could have taken to get wherever he was going, Mike happened past and actually stopped before him. It was the only time Stan had ever seen the man shaken. His confidence and optimism finally wavered and of course, he couldn’t be blamed. Stan was shocked, though not as much as the other. He was the first to offer any communication, gesturing to the blanket space beside him. Mike processed the invitation for a moment before easing himself down next to him. As rude as it was for Stan to stare, he watched as the man’s head spun. He imagined finding anyone at all would be a big deal for someone looking for help, but sadly Stan didn’t have anything special to offer to their crisis. All he had to offer was himself. Though, from each encounter in the past, Stan knew this man deserved all that he could give.

Stan reached out and took Mike’s hand. Although it caused his heart to quicken, the contact was comfortable. Warmth had never been Stan’s strong suit but he tried his best to ease the man’s nerves, holding his hand firmly, showing him he had every intention to be there for him in that moment. Mike squeezed back and Stan almost smiled. He turned his hand up and traced his name over his skin.  _Stan._ It was a strange feeling, just now introducing himself to someone he felt he had known his whole life. But not too odd for Mike. After visibly relaxing, he turned Stan’s hand over and spelled his name out on his skin just the same.

The numbness in his mind started to dissipate, and in came the troubling thoughts. Stan didn’t believe in fate but he suddenly wanted to know if Mike was aware of the invisible string that tied them together all this time. It wasn’t an appropriate thought to voice, and he was immensely grateful for the quiet that kept his thoughts trapped inside rather than rushing out of his mouth like a nervous flood. It was fooling and Stan still had to wonder if the man even recognized him at all. It was a leap to think otherwise but there was no other explanation to the way Mike continued to find him. There was no reason for Stan to want to hold Mike’s hand at all, but still he did. He held it when they were beyond introduction, and he didn’t see himself wanting to let go.

When Stan was ready to spiral in silence, Mike held onto his hand a little tighter. Stan still couldn’t understand why his life had to cave in when he finally had it all figured out, but after some thinking it made sense to him that Mike would find him here now.

When Mike left that evening, Stan expected it to be like the other times, just one fleeting interaction before he disappeared from his life again. With the way things were shaping out it might have even been the final time they would cross paths like that again. Stan couldn’t stop himself from thinking about it. He finally put a name to the face, and maybe a name didn’t matter, but it flashed across his mind every now and then. The name tickled his stomach and recollecting the way the sunset reflected on his skin made Stan smile. He wasn’t so focused on the birds anymore. Stan’s time was spent replaying everything, every memory of Mike he kept with him all his life. If there was a silver lining to be found in light of everything, it would have been getting to see Mike one last time.

Mike, of course, had other plans for them.

Mike returned no longer than a week after he first found Stan sat underneath that oak tree. Stan tensed at first. Something about seeing the man so soon after the previous encounter felt wrong, like they were breaking an unspoken rule set up by the universe to keep them from having too much of a too good thing. It was a rule Mike was willing to break whether or not he was aware of it, and Stan was in no position to send him away. Mike woke him up from his aimlessness. Stan didn’t feel fear when they were together. Mike didn’t join him frequently, and he knew to never wait for him, but their time together was good. It got better with every visit, too.

Mike and Stan’s conversations existed on each other’s skin. Short sentiments written with traces beneath their fingertips. Stan didn’t need any more than that. He would have been content without it, too. Stan enjoyed Mike’s company. The afternoons when Mike leaned against his shoulder and dozed off while Stan stayed up to watch the birds were his favorite. And Stan caught Mike staring as he sketched in his notebook, thinking he didn’t have a problem with the silence either. On top of that, Stan couldn’t say he was a fan of holding conversations one letter at a time. Lucky for him, Mike never pushed it.

On Stan’s favorite day the two skipped greetings all together. Mike didn’t pick his hand up to talk for hours and Stan was the one to lean into him that time. He wasn’t looking to rest his eyes as Mike often did. He only wanted to be closer.

The sun started to set and the time Mike usually left approached. Finally, the man took Stan’s hand in his and turned it over. After their especially quiet day Stan anticipated a short goodbye before he was on his way. But Mike’s expression read thoughtful, almost hesitant before he started tracing. 

_Can I?_

Stan’s brow knitted with confusion before his eyes scanned up to Mike’s face again. The gaze that had fallen to Stan’s lips told him the rest of the story, his own expression softening immediately. He nodded like a reflex. Mike’s thumb brushed along Stan’s jaw, coaxing him in closer. Their lips met and Stan knew from the coziness that filled his entire body that the kiss had been a long time coming. He didn’t have to watch Mike leave that evening. Stan took him inside that night and they discovered their best method of communication. He didn’t let Mike leave until the morning, and before he did, he promised Stan that he would be back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @delicateloser my baby doll ily
> 
> enjoy a lil fluff b4 shit gets real

“What about that?” Georgie asked, pointing out a dandelion poking out of the grass, not too far out of grasp. Richie’s eyes narrowed before finally replicating the sign for flower that Georgie had shown him earlier. Georgie lit up and nodded, plucking the dandelion from the ground. He tucked it into Richie’s hair as a reward. The man grinned proudly for a second or two before zoning out as he had been doing on and off for the past hour. Richie was trying to be good, but there were too many distractions for him to keep it together.

Georgie stretched his hand out in front of Richie’s face, ready to snap his fingers and call his focus back to their lesson. Richie’s eyes widened, quickly reaching his hand out to stop him. He shook his head, shoulders dropping like he defused a bomb. Georgie appeared worried, and Richie shook off the panic. “Sorry. I’m paying attention. I promise. We can’t snap outside. Only downstairs. Okay, Georgie?”

Georgie nodded, more responsive and understanding than Richie anticipated. Maybe some of it had been lost in translation. Georgie’s lessons were going great but they were only carrying Richie so far. But he was glad Georgie was okay and ready to move on like nothing happened. Richie hated the thought of transferring any anxiety onto Georgie. Everyone  _but_  Georgie was under some kind of stress at all times. Richie was surprised it didn’t reflect on him.

Richie glanced away to where the other four were huddled one more time. It was the first time Eddie hadn’t been put on babysitting duty since he arrived. That was up to Richie for the day, and he didn’t mind it at all. He had more reason to sit with Georgie than Eddie did. Richie was halfway decent with the language now. He was going to miss Eddie’s company, only if all he ever did was sit nearby and laugh at how bad he messed up sometimes. Richie enjoyed the times when he was doing  _so_  poorly that Eddie had to jump in and help before he ran out the last of Georgie’s patience.

Richie was also secretly grateful that he got to skip out on the manual labor for the day. Bill had his plans for lights and while Richie might be in the mood for teamwork on occasion, this wasn’t one of them. Wiring lights, building posts, hanging them up. All for a few more hours of light that extended only so far. He was happy to pass and let Eddie have his opportunity to do  _something_. Bill had been benching him at every opportunity. Richie thought he was better off getting some fresh air, finally.

Eddie had woken up in an okay mood that morning. They had already decided him, Bill, Mike and Bev would be the ones working on the lights. Eddie had been relieved to finally do something, even if hanging Christmas lights around a farm wasn’t ideal. Eddie started to feel less stuck. But Bill had to ruin his okay mood. When everyone set off on their own tasks, Bill held Eddie back by the arm. Eddie’s brows raised until Bill let go to sign. “Are you sure he’s okay? Alone with Richie?” He wasn’t sure what upset him more. The fact that Bill was trying to get Eddie to back down from helping now, or the implication that Richie hadn’t been anything but perfect with Georgie so far.

“He’s fine. He really likes Richie.” Eddie signed back, his body language reading irritated. The two men simultaneously turned to Richie and Georgie, sat on their blanket in the middle of the field. Richie noticed immediately, a wide grin stretching across his cheeks. He nudged Georgie and pointed towards them. The two started waving excitedly like children. Richie had no excuse for it. Eddie turned back to Bill with a pointed look before he set off just as Bev and Mike had, like he should have the first time.

Georgie’s lesson didn’t run too long before the two got too restless for the non-required class. Richie revealed the comic books he kept hidden between the sign language books he acquired, successfully getting Georgie to read alongside him.

His patience for reading ran short at about noon, and Richie decided it was time to feed him something before he turned cranky on him. He took Georgie with him on a short stop to check in with Eddie, letting him know they would be inside grabbing something to eat. Eddie looked impressed that he did so well handling him, and Richie felt like he was racking up a good amount of brownie points to be cashed in later.

Georgie’s hand clung onto Richie’s, holding tight as they walked from the field, back to the house. He hadn’t had the opportunity to spy around the kitchen yet, and without Bill or Eddie’s watchful eye, Georgie was excited to search the cabinets. Richie was mindful to it when Georgie’s small hand slipped from him to explore, but he had to smile at the carefree nature. There was no doubt that the kid admired Bill and Eddie both, but Richie knew he couldn’t have too much fun when they were around. Richie was happy to let him have his excitement, especially when he could find it in a kitchen of all places. Georgie opened and closed all the doors with a conviction that nearly made Richie laugh. “What are you looking for?”

“Cookies.” Georgie signed, and upon realizing he had never taught Richie the word, he spelled it out for him. Richie’s stomach grumbled, thinking he would kill for a working oven. Bev could bake, but it just wouldn’t be possible to pull off yet.

“Eddie wants you to eat fruit.” Richie signed instead of explaining the fact that the world wouldn’t allow for freshly baked cookies.

Georgie’s tilted his whole body to the side as he thought. “Can we take all the fruit outside for everyone?”

Richie smiled and nodded. “That would be nice.”

Georgie’s face lit up and took off upstairs without warning. Richie felt a bit startled but he climbed the stairs with gentle footsteps and trusted the boy knew what he was doing.

When Georgie returned he spread a blanket out on the kitchen table and started moving back and forth from the table to the pantries, gathering every snack that appealed to him. Richie watched the tornado that was Georgie without a more responsible guardian to tell him  _no._  If the worst thing he was guilty of was trying to feed everyone who had been working hard all morning, Richie could let it slide. He let Georgie buzz around the kitchen while he chopped fruit all the way up until he caught glimpse of the boy reaching for the phone and attached earbuds he kept tangled up on the counter. “No, I’ll take that.” Richie slipped his phone into his pocket. Georgie pouted for two seconds before moving on.

Richie put a lid on the bowl of fruit he prepared and centered it between all the snacks Georgie gathered together on the blanket. Richie brought the ends together and closed the makeshift bag before the boy placed the entire contents of the kitchen inside. Richie lifted the hefty sack and handed it off to Georgie with a smirk. “Can you carry that?” They boy was already struggling to hold it off the ground. Georgie shook his head and Richie laughed silently. “Okay.” He took the sack of food again and lead Georgie out through the front door.

Georgie ran through the grassy field, picking out the spot he found best for a picnic. He waited for Richie to catch up, directing him to drop the blanket down exactly where he wanted it before he ran off again to gather the others. Richie didn’t care to eat anything, even with the wide selection Georgie prepared. He wandered away from the picnic blanket and returned the one him and Georgie occupied earlier, leaving space for everyone else to sit around the food.

Georgie sat sandwiched between Bill and Eddie, enthusiastically telling about everything him and Richie did while they were busy. With every kind thing he had to say about Richie, Bill shoulders slumped. It would have been easier to hear if Eddie hadn’t been smirking about it the entire time, reminding him of the fact that he had reluctant to trust him earlier. Bill avoided looking Eddie straight on, instead pulling crackers out of a sleeve Georgie had snuck into the stash. It was all the victory Eddie needed. “Did Richie already eat?” He asked the boy curiously. Georgie shook his head and Eddie wondered why he wasn’t sitting there with anyone else. He snacked on a few strawberries before his curiosity won over his hunger.

Eddie stood and walked a few yards down to where Richie was laying alone across the blanket. His glasses were pushed up above his forehead, eyes closed shut as he strummed an imaginary guitar vigorously. Eddie observed him, noting the cable that ran from the phone beside him and split into two earbuds that rested in his ears. Eddie dryly chuckled at Richie’s facial expressions, eyes falling on his lips as he mouthed out the lyrics silently. He could have watched him perform a full song, but Eddie wanted to lay down and rest too. He walked closer and kneeled onto the blanket, momentarily blocking Richie’s sun. The man’s eyes shot open and a gentle blush rose to his cheeks as he dropped his hands to his side, then moving across his chest like he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with them. “Don’t stop because of me.” Eddie signed after making a comfortable spot beside Richie. Richie eyed his playful smile.

“Where’s Bill?” He asked.

“Do you really care?”

“Do you?”

Eddie’s smile grew and he shook his head. “Keep going.”

Richie smirked and removed the earbud opposite Eddie and offered it to him. It was accepted after a short hesitation.

_Friday morning gotta get up out of bed, I’m feeling Skitzo._

_Sunday morning and I'm tumble out of bread, I need some Schnitzel._

_I'm eatin’ Schnitzel. I'm eatin’ Schnitzel._

Once Eddie could make out the lyrics he turned to watch Richie incedulously. He didn’t understand why anyone would be listening to such a song and as much as he had enjoyed watching Richie lip sync, he liked it better before actually hearing the song. Eddie sat up and found Richie’s phone, tapping the skip button. Richie’s entire face scrunched at the abrupt change but that eased when he recognized the next song. Eddie didn’t mind the start to this one. But then the speed changed and he started paying closer attention to the lyrics.

_Why can't I get just one kiss, why can't I get just one kiss?_

_Believe me, there'd be somethings that I wouldn't miss_

_but I look at your pants and I need a kiss._

_Why can't I get just one screw..?_

Eddie shook his head all while Richie strummed wildly and moved his lips while staring at the man beside him. He didn’t let it go on for too long before he pressed skip again, trying to cleanse himself of those lyrics. “It was getting better.” Richie complained, sighing as he dropped his air guitar. The next song was slow and wasn’t any cause for the head banging Richie had been doing.

Eddie smiled, recognizing it immediately. “You like this?”

Richie dropped the pout to smile back at him, nodding. He paused to search his memory for the word he wanted to sign. “Surprised?”

“Yeah, the last two were bad.” Eddie confirmed, smirking playfully. Richie shook his head. Eddie watched him and he could tell he was amused but he wondered why Richie stopped his silent concert. He nudged his arm and gestured to his empty hands.

Richie turned his hands over, showing Eddie his instrument was gone. “It’s too slow.” He explained. Eddie frowned for a moment before turning his face up towards sky. He shut his eyes and moved his lips to the words since Richie didn’t care to.

_Forever, forever love._

_Together, together love._

Richie watched him, blushing again as he imagined Eddie’s voice being the one he heard singing softly for him. He looked so pretty like that, peaceful underneath the sunlight. When Eddie opened his eyes again, the two felt closer to each other. The distance between them was short and intimate. Richie’s heartbeat sped, begging to be noticed. All Richie  _could_  think about was Eddie’s knack for getting his body to speak. If he could just feel Richie’s palms, he was sure Eddie wouldn’t want to be laying down so close to him. Every ticking second where Eddie didn’t look away made Richie more nervous. The silence prevented him from ruining the mood with a bad joke.

With his rapidly beating heart and shaky fingers urging him to do anything, Richie shifted onto his forearm and leaned closer to Eddie. The other man appeared a lot more relaxed about what was happening between them. Richie wondered if anything was happening at all.  _Until._  Eddie glanced at Richie’s lips. If his heart started beating harder it was going to burst. Richie closed the distance and pressed his lips to Eddie’s. It was cruel, the way his heart then stopped completely. Richie kissed him and shut his own body out to listen to Eddie’s. He was being kissed back. Eddie’s fingers ghosted over his chest where Richie’s heart nearly ruptured. And then he was pushed back.

Another figure clouded their sunlight, this one in the shape of Bill standing in front of them. Eddie sat up faster than Richie had time to fix his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. “We’re getting back to work. Five minutes.” He announced, expression flat before walking away. Eddie’s skin went pale, his hands running up and down his face to cope with the embarrassment. Richie sat up too, trying his best not to feel offended by that reaction. Before he could get Eddie to look him in the eye, the man was on his feet. Richie scrambled up too.

Eddie hesitated before turning towards Richie. “Was that okay?” He wasn’t as nervous as before, but Richie was now worried that he ruined something important. Or rather  _Bill_  had ruined it, but Richie didn’t want to chance it and let Eddie walk away before finding out.

Eddie’s smile was small, but he nodded. “Yeah. But I have to go. You’re still fine with taking Georgie?” Richie nodded slowly in reply, earning a “Thank you.” before Eddie left.

Richie wasn’t totally comforted by Eddie’s reply and he started mentally preparing himself for the worst, that being Eddie finding his way back to him at the end of the day just to tell him that he didn’t have those kinds of feeling for Richie. They hadn’t known each other for very long but that hypothetical alone felt like a stab to the chest.

Richie dropped the long face when Georgie came running back to him after his lunch with all the others. He put on a big smile for him as if his soul hadn’t been crushed by Eddie shoving two inches of space between them after their kiss.

“Hey kid.. Any chance you know the word for P - R - E - T - T - Y?”

Georgie smiled mischeivieously. “For Beverly?”

Richie shrugged. “Her too, I guess.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for tori, i keep bitching about writers block n just lack of motivation but ur still so lovely n patient about it ty i love you 

“What was that kiss..?” Eddie’s brow crinkled before Bill finished. “With Richie?” He added, as if he needed the reminder. Eddie knew exactly who he kissed, but he didn’t understand why Bill had to bring it up. Everyone was exhausted after the long day but they all stood up to watch Bill flip the switch that turned all the lights on after sundown. It had been an uplifting moment to see all of their hard work put into action. As soon as the others left downstairs, Bill had to sabotage the one thing Eddie had been proud to help with.

“What do you mean?” Eddie asked, wondering why the kiss had to become a topic of discussion for his friend. Bill looked incredulous.

“Why would you do it?”

“Why would anyone kiss anyone?” Eddie attempted to shrug off the conversation, embarrassed for reasons he found to be obvious. He couldn’t wrap his brain around the fact that it was being brought up between them.

Exasperated, Bill continued. “What good could come from kissing a guy you don’t know?”

“I don’t know Richie?” Eddie looked appalled and angered, but still, Bill continued to jab.

“No, I don’t think you do. He’s a  _clown._  Georgie could tell you that.”

“Georgie thinks he’s  _funny._  You’re the one who doesn’t know him. You haven’t even had a real conversation with Richie.” Bill shook his head. He couldn’t argue a fact, but he still disapproved. Eddie was riled up after the insult to Richie’s character, though. He wouldn’t allow Bill to duck out now. “Tell me. If you could, would you kiss Beverly?” Eddie expected a lie but Bill hadn’t bothered. The silence spoke louder than a yes or a no. “You don’t get to talk to me about Richie.” Eddie signed sternly. Bill was taken back by the strength behind his words, watching in silence as he walked away when Eddie decided that was that.

Eddie joined the gathering downstairs, met with the shiniest smile when he reached the bottom of the basement. Those lips were the cause for his troubled mind but he was really glad to see them. “Where’s Bill?” Beverly asked. Eddie thought she might have been disappointed that he didn’t come waltzing down the stairs with him.

“I don’t think Bill is coming down tonight.” Eddie spoke in sync with his signing while Georgie poked his head over the top of the couch to see. The boy frowned, and looked beside him to Richie. **  
**

“Why not?” He asked, as though Richie would know the answer.

Richie peered back towards Eddie who looked away within the second. He turned back to Georgie. “I think your brother is tired. Do you want to go up with him?” The boy thought before nodding. He kneeled up on the couch cushions to wrap his arms around Richie’s neck tightly. Richie chuckled to himself and held Georgie, rubbing his back before he let go to say goodnight to the others. He went around and hugged everyone goodnight, zipping up the stairs to go see Bill before Eddie could offer to walk with him. Richie was still beaming when the door shut behind him. “Guys did you see that? He hugged me the tightest. That means he loves me the most.” He bragged.

“Yeah, you’re the favorite today. You  _did_  spoil him with all our best snacks, which he did eat as soon as you left, Eddie. We have to go restock now. Tomorrow, Richie.” Beverly let Eddie know Georgie got into the junk food when Bill allowed it, knowing he wouldn’t eat that way otherwise. The one time snacking wasn’t any concern for Eddie at the moment. He fixed himself between Richie and Beverly on the couch, allowing the information to slide so he could try his hand at relaxing.

Richie hummed before replying. “Can’t tomorrow.”

“Can’t?”

“Nope.” Watching the back and forth, Eddie had a feeling relaxation wasn’t in the cards for him.

“Why not?” Beverly demanded.

“I didn’t touch the radio all day today. That’s a day lost, Bev. You want me to find something, don’t you? So what we took a couple snacks off the shelves? We can survive without that crap. We can go another day when we  _need_  to gather somethings. A whole trip for some chips or whatever is a waste.” Beverly stared past Eddie at Richie for a few moments, annoyed. She stood from the couch to give her a few feet of space between her and Richie before she made any further comments in front of company.

Eddie looked around the room and particularly saw that both Mike and Beverly had split off into their own separate spaces. He pursed his lips before speaking, breaking in on the tension uneasily. “I think I’m just going to go back upstairs.” He said softly, directing the statement towards Richie who was already shaking his head very adamantly. **  
**

“You don’t have to. You just got here.” He sat up, trying to compel Eddie to stick around a while longer. But once Eddie made up his mind, that was it for him.

“It’s okay, Rich. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Richie stifled a pout.

“Promise?” The goofy, hopeful look on his face earned a soft chuckle from Eddie.

“You’re a dork. You know that?” Richie grinned, too proud of the insult. He nodded. Eddie shook his head fondly, seeming to linger before he picked himself off of the couch. “Goodnight, Richie.”

“Sweet dreams, Eddie.” The energy in the basement turned stale after Eddie left. Richie wasn’t a fan of the tension, ending his night early by being the first to tuck into bed.

* * *

 

“Mike?”

“Left before I woke up.” Bill and Beverly passed a notebook back and forth on the dining table, joined by Georgie and Eddie for breakfast. Eddie stared at the notebook, and the pen, wondering if he should ask. But Beverly continued writing. “Richie’s still sleeping in.” She glanced at Eddie before sliding the notebook forward again. She noticed a subtle pinch in Bill’s brows while he thought. He picked the pen back up soon enough.

“Do you have any plans for today?” Eddie sighed.

“I wanted to go into town for food. Richie doesn’t want to go.”

Bill’s expression perked. “I’ll go with you.” He wrote, unable to respond any faster. Beverly’s expression brightened and Eddie stopped himself from visibly reacting with an eye roll.

“I’ll go gather my things.” Beverly excused herself to make a trip downstairs. Richie was hunched over the side of his bed, just woken up.

“Leaving?” He asked groggily. Beverly hummed to confirm. “With Bill?” **  
**

“I can’t go alone.” She didn’t pay Richie so much as a glance with her reply. Richie frowned.

“Look, Bev, I’m just thinking about-”

“You’re never getting anywhere with that radio. It’s useless, Richie. Give it up. You want to complain about wasting time, that stupid radio is a waste of time.” Beverly huffed, strapping her backpack on. “I’m over it.” Richie deflated as he watched her leave.

“I’m not giving up.” He mumbled.

Upstairs, Bill was packing a small bag too, but he deterred Eddie from doing the same. “You have to stay.” He signed. “You and Georgie. You have to look after him today.” Eddie knew it was coming but he shook his head the moment Bill started.

“I’m not his babysitter.” Eddie argued.

“I know that, but he does behave a lot better around you. He’s not careful out there. The... things. They’re out there you know- me and Beverly heard them last time we went out. Georgie doesn’t know when he’s making noise, you know that. It’s safer here.”

The image that painted in Eddie’s head caused him to pause. Traveling far from the farm was dangerous, and he didn’t want that for Georgie. “You can’t do this every time. Leave him to me.”

Bill could see Eddie was convinced to stay. “It’s best for him.” He signed, having the last word before going down to meet Beverly in the kitchen. Bill grinned at her as she waited in the doorway, but he stopped to say goodbye to his brother before he left. He kissed the top of Georgie’s head, earning a bright smile. “I’ll see you later. Be good for Eddie.”

Eddie waited at the bottom of the staircase, joining Georgie after the two left. “Where’s Richie?” The boy asked curiously. Eddie shrugged.

“Sleeping, I guess.” Georgie looked disappointed with the answer until Eddie continued. “Want to wake him up?” He asked playfully. At least, if Eddie had to stay home with Georgie, they both had Richie too. The boy nodded eagerly and waited for Eddie’s “let’s go” before bounding down to the basement.

Georgie pouted when he found Richie already up and awake at his desk, but he raced to him and clung onto his arm anyway. The man chuckled. “Good morning, kiddo.” He smiled, ruffling up Georgie’s hair before glancing back towards the man who joined him. “Mornin’ beautiful.” Eddie rolled his eyes at the cheesy smirk on Richie’s face, smiling anyway. **  
**

“Everyone left, so...”

“You’re stuck with the trashmouth?”

“Not  _stuck_  with you,” Richie smiled at that, but he knew he couldn’t take any more days off for lessons with Georgie. And he spent an awful lot of that time he took away from the radio chatting with Eddie, too. Acknowledging that fact was difficult because he had to get serious about his search for everyone’s sake, but especially Bev’s.

“Well uh- I can’t go out today. Bev’s busting my balls about this shit so..” Richie shrugged sheepishly.

“Oh, alright. We’ll um, spend time outside on our own I guess.” Eddie got the hint, loud and clear. Him and Georgie weren’t wanted there either. Richie was annoyed at himself for causing Eddie’s face to fall like that. Eddie walked closer just to take Georgie’s hand and pry him off of Richie.

“Wait, Eds! Before you go...” Richie pulled his chair back to stand, catching Eddie before he turned away. “Wanna give me a kiss goodbye? You know, wish me luck with everything.” He asked, knowing there was a very slim chance of Eddie offering that up on his own.

While Richie had been playful, and even blushing, Eddie didn’t think it was so cute. “No, Richie. I don’t want to do that. If you’re going to be serious- be serious.  _Do_  something.” Eddie rejected, tugging on Georgie’s hand to follow him upstairs. The boy waved goodbye with his other hand and Richie hid his frown as he waved back. He slumped into his desk chair and tried to make himself useful.

Eddie attempted to give Georgie a good day while everyone else was busy. They had a long walk around the farm before they settled down in field, allowing him to explore under his supervision. It was preferable to being cooped up in the basement, Eddie thought. And when they did stop, he provided Georgie with a new fairy tale book to get his mind out of the reality of their quiet little lives.

* * *

 

“Holy shit. Holy shit,  _holy shit!_ ” Richie tripped scrambling out of his desk chair, a delay that took him a second to recover from. Nothing could interfere with the excited momentum as he sprinted across the basement, skipping steps by two as he flew up the stairs. Forgetting his shoes, Richie continued to run around the empty house on the fronts of his feet as he searched for anyone. Everyone was out but he had to be sure before bounding out of the house.

He didn’t stop running until he found Eddie out in the field, laying down on a blanket with his eyes shut. Richie didn’t hesitate to yank the man from his relaxation. Sleeping or not, Richie was too excited to let him be. Eddie was incredibly distressed when Richie pulled him by his arm, forcing him to his feet before he could realize that he had accidentally fallen into a nap in the evening.

“I did it! I did it! I got him and I saved us!” Richie sighed and gripped onto Eddie’s arms, shaking him and disorienting him further. Eddie didn’t understand a word of what Richie was trying to communicate. “Where are they? Where is Beverly?” Richie searched Eddie’s face, watching it fall before the man glanced down to the blanket. He watched the panic settle in.

“Georgie? You don’t— Did you see him?” Eddie asked, hardly checking in for Richie’s answer as he scanned the field. His chest heaved, hands beginning to shake. Georgie was *gone.* Eddie had fallen asleep and Georgie wasn’t there anymore. “Is he inside? Tell me he’s inside.” Richie already knew better but he wasn’t in sight and Eddie was losing his mind, afraid of what happened while he was sleeping.

Richie took his face his hands before the man could spiral further. “We’ll check the woods.” He decided, taking the lead on their search before Eddie took on all the pressure of the situation. Georgie was lost on his watch. The weight of that responsibility was too much for Eddie. Richie tried to think clearly enough for the both of them, taking his hand to run towards the trees. The kid could have gone anywhere, but Richie didn’t allow any of the dark possibilities cloud his hope of finding him.

It took Eddie a moment to collect himself, sucking it up before his eyes started to well. The men ran fast through the field, but slowed when they got into the thick of the woods. Eddie and Richie walked and walked, desperate for any signs of motion to catch their eye. The steady hand in Eddie’s could only keep him calm for so long before he ripped it away. “What’s going to happen if we can’t find him? Maybe we should split-“

Richie grabbed Eddie’s wrist to stop him from signing, because when he turned to look at the man, he saw Georgie. Richie pointed past his head and Eddie whipped his head around. He took off in a sprint towards the boy, and Richie followed a fair few paces behind.

Georgie was examining a giant oak, only spotting Eddie when he was close enough in his peripheral. When he did, Georgie was really excited. He started running towards Eddie when the man slowed down, but he tripped.

“Georgie!” Eddie shouted out loud, blood running cold when he heard his own voice boom around the trees. His shaking hands clasped over his mouth to take it back. Eddie froze.

“Grab him, Eddie!” Richie’s voice called from behind him, tears falling down his cheeks as he spun around to see the man taking off, shouting like crazy as he did it. The words didn’t sink in until he lost sight of Richie in the thick of the trees.

Eddie collapsed to the ground and took Georgie into his arms, hiding the boy’s face in his chest as he held on tightly. Eddie could actually hear  _it_. The snarls, trees breaking in it’s path however far away that was. Holding Georgie was the only thing he could do to protect him and Eddie knew that wasn’t enough, but the time past. Nothing came for them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tori, i love you so so much! my angel, my sweetheart, my everything

“It’s probably okay. He’s probably okay, right?” Beverly asked, Mike mostly. Once Eddie could pick himself up from the ground out in the forest, he took account of woods. Everything was quiet again and he took that as a sign that it was safe to take Georgie straight home. Straight into the basement. He didn’t do the heroic thing and look for Richie, not even after he had Georgie somewhere safe. Eddie was scared and couldn’t get a grip of himself. Georgie was crying and Eddie couldn’t bring himself to comfort him properly. He was shaken by what he heard. Eddie heard a monster ripping through the forest, zeroed in on the loudest noise at the time. That was Richie. That was Richie in most situations but, this one mattered. His mouth might have  _killed_  him, but Eddie didn’t know for sure.

“He could be. You said you didn’t see anything, right Eddie?” Bill offered, rocking Georgie in his arms. Eddie nodded. He explained it all when Mike first arrived, and again when Bill and Beverly followed. And now they were all rehashing what he already told them, causing him to zone out and think back.

“I  _yelled_  at Georgie. I  _yelled_  at him and he can’t even  _hear_  me.” Eddie blurted, becoming increasingly upset. So was Beverly. Anyway he spun it, it was his fault. He couldn’t focus on anything else.

“Eddie, it’s okay. We’re going to look for Richie. Bill and I will go now and if it’s too dark, we’ll all look tomorrow.” Mike offered, trying to calm him down before the thoughts in the room got any darker.

Beverly shook her head. “I’m not waiting. And Eddie, you have to come. You have to show us.”

“I don’t know about that Bev. He’s upset and it’s just not-“

“I’ll go.” Eddie’s voice croaked and interrupted Bill’s plans, wherever he was going with them. “Bill, you stay with him. He needs you. I’m fine.” Eddie left Bill with no room to argue with him. Georgie was confused and shaken up by what happened, and it would take a lot to get him to bed that night. Bill had to agree.

The woods were more difficult to navigate at night, but the three moved in carefully with their flashlights, focused on Eddie leading him to where it happened. He was nervous just to be there again. The events were stuck on repeat in his his head. Richie waking him up from where he had fallen asleep and lost track of Georgie. He put Georgie’s life in danger. And then Richie’s.

Eddie stopped Mike and Beverly when he reached the place he held Georgie in his arms for so long, pointing out the path Richie had taken. Eddie’s light shined on broken trees in the distance and Mike was quick to move in towards them. Beverly followed behind him first. Eddie was slow behind them. The snarls echoed between his ears and he didn’t want to see what they did to Richie. Eddie knew if he were fine, he would have found his way home well before Bill and Bev had returned from the town. He had to have been closer than that. They were only going to discover the worst.

Mike followed the path to a horrible scene. The ground was wrecked and completely clawed at. He flashed his light, trying to look deeper for a definitive answer that Richie was attacked here. It could have gone for a forest animal instead, Mike thought hopefully. But while Eddie was avoiding staring straight down at the damage his eyes caught sight of a phone, cracked screen facing up in all the dirt. He walked over and picked it up. It was Richie’s, and the last time he had seen it, those cracks weren’t there. When Mike and Beverly noticed him, tears were rolling down his cheeks. Beverly clasped a hand over her mouth as her sobs choked out. Mike pulled her into his chest to cry.

* * *

 

Eddie couldn’t be there when Mike consoled Beverly in the basement. Realizing Richie was gone filled him with guilt. Seeing Beverly like that made it worse. He would apologize but Eddie needed to find the right words first. His thoughts were like a hurricane and until it settled, he couldn’t speak to anybody. Eddie clutched onto the broken phone tightly. Slivers of glass stung his fingertips, too angry to care. He was angry at himself, and angry at Richie for pulling the idiotic stunt. Screaming through the forest was a death sentence and now Beverly was downstairs crying because she lost her best friend. Mike and Georgie lost someone, too. Richie used his voice to save him. Eddie couldn’t live up to it. He spent that night upstairs with Bill, sulking. The tear stained cheeks said more than he needed to explain.

Bill was there with him for hours, eventually trying to talk Eddie into bed but he refused the break from his overactive thoughts. Eddie deserved every bit of guilt. He assured Bill it was okay for him to sleep, telling him he ought to be there for Georgie when he woke up. The thoughts were louder when he was on his own. Time passed slower, too. Eddie’s sleeves were damp with the tears he wiped off his face, eyes irritated by the way he rubbed them while he tried to stop. The bouts of crying worsened, though. Being the cause of that scene out in the woods, Eddie felt worse than he felt in his life. His mind kept speaking to him, telling him Richie deserved better.

Eddie was startled by the figure appearing in the doorway, Mike. It was morning, and he was checking in. His eyes were glossy and pained too, breaking Eddie’s heart all over again, but Mike wasn’t bringing his sorrows to him. He sat at Eddie’s side on the guest bed and stretched his arms around, providing him with the same comfort he did Beverly. Mike held him tightly to remind him that his feelings mattered too. He didn’t think Eddie should be alone, but the way he sat and didn’t reach back to hold him, he knew healing would be a lonely process for Eddie.

When Mike left, Eddie didn’t hold his breath for Beverly to follow his footsteps and offer him a hug too. She was probably worse off than Eddie, minus all the guilt. Thinking about Beverly, Eddie didn’t think he would ever come up with an apology to make up for why he did, what he caused her to lose. He couldn’t make things right with her, and that scared him into stillness. He didn’t leave the guest room for hours into the day. Eddie didn’t so much as shift from his position hunched over the edge of the bed. The intention to go speak to her, or Mike, never left. But he didn’t know how he was going to open his mouth without tears spilling down, stealing away from the importance of his words.

Before he claim a handle on himself, the day was lost. Eddie hadn’t settled on a starting point and no matter how many times Bill prodded him into moving, eating, taking care of himself, he wouldn’t. The gears refused to stop turning. The silence didn’t do a thing to help drown it out. “Is there anything I can do for you?” Eddie tilted his head in consideration, the most reaction he had shown yet. There was a solution, he thought. A temporary one at least. And while Eddie hadn’t planned to ask for the favor, he could see that Bill was trying to do the right thing for him.

“Could you find the cable for this?” Eddie turned his hand over, revealing the cracked phone he had been gripping for quite some time. “It might not be broken but it wont turn on. I want to see if it works. I assume the charger is in the basement.”

Bill’s brow released from its pinch, saddened to realize Eddie hadn’t let go since he made the discover out in the woods. “Is that really..?” Bill didn’t hide his concern about the request, but now that reached out, Eddie wasn’t budging.

“Can you do that for me?” He asked, never flinching away from the passive judgement in Bill’s eyes. “Headphones, too.”

Bill nodded, though he was thinking there had to be a better way of coping. Something that involved Eddie leaving the room. Bill stood up and left, and Eddie waited. Eddie didn’t expect him to be as quick as lightning, but Bill was gone for longer than what was comfortable. After some time he did return with black cables and headphones in hand.

Tears streamed down Eddie’s cheek as he accepted the gift, connecting the cable to the phone before finding the outlets in the room. Bill watched as he plugged the charger into the wall. The screen remained black for the first few seconds, but it lit up. The phone still worked, and though the pixels on the screen were distorted, Eddie could work with that. “Thank you.” Eddie signed, cleaning the tears from his face before camping himself on the floor, directly beside the outlet. He connected the headphones next and found Richie’s collection of music. Eddie pressed play and shut his eyes. He shut everything out and listened to whichever song came up on shuffle. Eddie put himself in the field beside Richie, only he wouldn’t skip the songs that he didn’t like. He let all of them play, and in his head he pictured dark curls bouncing beside him as Richie jammed on his air guitar.

For a while, Eddie didn’t wallow in the fact that everything was his fault. He listened to the music and appreciated that fact that he met a goofball who liked rock songs about nothing, who at the same time enjoyed the same soft melodies that he did. Eddie’s time with Richie Tozier was brief but he loved him just the same.

Beverly Marsh loved him, too. She loved him for a lot longer than Eddie had. After hours and hours of calming himself down with Richie’s music library, Eddie pulled himself together to deliver his overdue condolences. While his anxiety was still so bad it caused his fingers to tremble at his sides, he marched himself down to the basement to seek out Bev. She immediately took notice to the not so familiar figure standing behind her as she sat on the floor, nothing but a towel underneath her.

“Oh, Eddie.” Beverly held up a new strand of hair, snipping after a moment of studying it in the mirror. “Are you okay?” Eddie’s brows furrowed. It wasn’t how he expected to find Beverly. An he didn’t anticipate her to consider how he was doing. “Well- that’s a stupid question. I know you’re upset about everything.”

Eddie’s eyes were welling.  _That_  he expected, but he didn’t want it to happen. “Beverly, I- I can’t tell you how sorry-”

“Please don’t, Eddie. I’ve been thinking. I was angry at first. But I know that if Richie were here, he wouldn’t let me put this on you. Stupid, idiot hero knew what he was doing and it for for you. It for Georgie. And that was his choice. I’m not blaming you. You know Mike isn’t either.” Beverly shut down all of Eddie’s previous anxieties about the conversation within a matter of a minute. His  _hours_  of fixating, all to be shut down. Eddie could laugh. Or cry. All while Beverly casually gave herself a new haircut. Just another Tuesday, it seemed.

“Why are you doing that?” He asked, unable to ignore it for any longer.

Beverly’s gaze lifted to Eddie’s reflection in the mirror. “It’s time to cut it, I think.” She answered simply before moving onto a new section of hair. “I can cut if you ever want me to. I cut Richie’s. Your hair is fine now, though. But Bill’s is growing long at the back. Like, tucking into his collar long. He should let me fix that.” Beverly’s lips curled into a smile, first time they had since, and it grew bigger when Eddie laughed.

“Maybe tomorrow.” Eddie offered. Their eyes met through the mirror and Beverly nodded, a tired but hopeful expression on her face.

“It’s a date.” She joked. Finally, Eddie could breathe.

“I was really afraid you were going to be down here crying inconsolably.” He chuckled. Beverly laughed, too.

“I was but everything’s going to be fine. Richie’s not helpless. Wherever he is, he’ll be okay.” Beverly snipped another lock of hair and Eddie felt nervous again.

“I’m- I’m sorry?” Beverly met his eyes through the mirror again. He appeared horrified by the implications.

“Oh, I thought maybe- I’ve been telling Mike and Bill. I think Richie’s okay. I can’t put it into words but, I feel him with me still. He never left.” Eddie’s horror shifted into confusion as he tried wrapping his mind around what Beverly was trying to explain. “I’m not crazy, Eddie. I have a sense for these things. Like with my boyfriend, Ben.”

“You have a boyfriend..?” Eddie’s shock brought him closer, crouching beside Bev as he invested in the information. “Where is he? You never- Richie never said anything?”

“Well yeah. His name is Ben. He wasn’t with us when the shit storm started. Ben was in New York and it was one of the first cities on lockdown. There were only a few days we could keep in touch before all cell signal was down. Me and Richie couldn’t wait for him in the same place like sitting ducks. It wasn’t safe. I haven’t heard a single thing from him in months. But I  _swear_  Eddie,” Beverly began to cry through her words, “I swear he’s still out there looking for us. For me. I just know when people are gone. I never got that feeling with Ben. Richie never quit his search on the radio because he believed me when I told him Ben was still alive. I haven’t gotten that feeling about Richie either. So in my heart, they’re both okay.”

Eddie couldn’t attest to having an intuition about death, but he recognized sincerity in Beverly’s eyes. He never wanted to believe in anything more. “If I’ve been crying over Richie for nothing, Bev, I’m going to kill him.” She laughed and Eddie did too, both wiping their tears from their eyes.

“He’s really a stupid, idiot hero isn’t he?” A grin stretched across Eddie’s face and Beverly nodded.

“Yeah, he is.”

“Is Ben like that? An idiot?”

Beverly nearly tossed her head back with laughter. “ _God_ , no. You’re on your own in the falling for idiots category.” She teased playfully.

“So much for the club I was trying to start.” Eddie shrugged and smiled. “Would you tell me about Ben?”

“You want the cliff notes? Because he’s just gorgeous to start. And he is actually truly the sweetest man alive. Richie might have saved your life but Ben writes me love notes everyday. No cheesy hallmark crap, either. The letters he writes me are beautiful. He’s the most genuinely amazing person and he deserves the entire world.” Beverly finished with her hair, smiling throughout every bullet point about Ben.

Eddie took a look at her new hair, but the way Beverly beamed when she spoke about her boyfriend was undeniable the most beautiful thing about her. “Those are just the cliff notes?”

“Just the cliff notes.”


End file.
